Second Harvest
by 11thCommandment
Summary: A salvage vessel discovers a crashed alien ship. What they find on board is unexpected, wondrous and highly coveted. [Sequel to 'The Harvest'. Strong, explicit language. Hope to publish Chapter 11 by the end of the week]
1. Second Harvest

**Chapter One: Fallow Ground**

As the ship came into shallow orbit, Natasha Rivera, the captain of the salvage vessel, Slick Willy, studied the display on which the derelict ship was being projected. The craft's hull was impenetrable to imaging scans. It was either something that had been built and launched by a rival company very recently... or of alien construction, though that was far less likely.

She turned to Russo, the Science Officer, "Anything?"

"Not as yet." She replied.

She folded her arms in the manner Natasha had come to interpret as her baffled pose. It annoyed her. Everything Russo did annoyed her. Especially the baffled pose. That _really_ annoyed her.

"The fuselage is Hermesium, Captain... or Hitchium maybe- from the radiation signature... or lack thereof. The blast wave from the explosion at the terraforming colony would have caused greater damage if it was something less advanced, but..." She stopped and looked at the detailed analysis coming through on the readout. "That's weird."

"What's weird?" The Captain looked over at the information coming through and hit a few keys so she could see what Russo was seeing.

Russo highlighted two lines of text for her to see what she had spotted. "The surface accretion and erosion surrounding the wreck- it's getting on for five centuries worth."

"Five? You sure?"

"Looks that way, Captain."

"So, it's not been disturbed since before the meltdown of the colony's reactor?" Asked Natasha.

"Yah." Russo studied the information coming through.

The Captain chewed at her bottom lip. "So this thing has been here for- wait a minute: Hermesium? That wasn't invented till, what, the twenty-fifth century?"

"And Hitchium was only invented in the late fifties." Added Russo.

Natasha leaned forward onto the console on which the hologram was being emitted and pursed her lips. She was deep in thought.

Russo stayed quiet.

The Captain turned to her after a moment, walking forward until she was just about toe-to-toe with the older woman.

Russo wanted to back away, but resisted the urge.

A smile broke out on Natasha's face and she put her arms around her, embracing her strongly. This was very unlike her.

She pushed herself away, keeping her hands on Russo's shoulders. "It's an alien ship, Janet. A fucking alien ship. And it dates back to before we'd even discovered primitive life forms on other planets."

The Science Officer was nodding, appreciating her Captain's rare display of emotion.

"It's been lying here over five hundred years."

"Yes." Janet joined in.

"And you said it was dead, fallow ground, you silly cow." There was the usual contempt she would normally speak with lying under the joy she was exhibiting. "You said we wouldn't find anything fruitful here at all, didn't you?" She asked rhetorically.

They both laughed, though Janet felt a slight awkwardness at having her professional expertise mocked by her superior.

"That's right, Captain." She feigned a smile. "But here it is. It's here." She made a pose like an uncomfortable magician revealing her disappeared assistant from behind another curtain.

"You got that right." Said Natasha. "We need to get down there."

"Yes." Russo agreed.

"Well?" The Captain looked at her.

"Well?" She was still mentally off-balance from the uncharacteristic good-spirits of the woman.

"Send in the clowns, dick head." The Captain said humourlessly.

Janet nodded and got to work selecting the stasis chambers. Despite the 'dick head' jibe, she was taken aback at just how much of a personality change Natasha was going through right now. She'd known her over ten years. Served under her for seven of them. She hardly ever seen her crack a smile, let alone hug anyone. There was a sense of satisfaction, the person to receive the affectionate gesture had been herself. "How many do you want sending in?"

"Just send in a couple from Utilities and... Chan and Walker. Split them up. Don't want them fucking each other , getting spunk everywhere and contaminating the place."

That was more like it. She was back to her usual brash self.

"I'll send Baker down with Walker and Exeter with Chan. I'll put Findley on protocols."

"Send its optic feed through to my quarters. I want to keep an eye on it."

"Samuel said he fixed the glitch." Russo reminded her.

"I couldn't give two happy fucks what he said he did, Russo!" Natasha snapped back. "The fact is, I left him to oversee two days of mining, and the droid comes back with three digits missing and no idea of how it happened. Its memory didn't just wipe itself, did it?!"

"Okay..." Janet just wanted her to leave now. The celebrations were over. The happy Rivera had gone away. The bitch was back.

The Captain looked up at the slowly ascending read out as more information, mostly arbitrary, was being processed by the ship's computer. She was definitely happy with what the day had delivered so far. "We found one, Russo. We finally- fucking- found one. Get the others up too and have them ready to accept new cargo." Simple orders to be leaving her with as she left the main bridge and headed back to her living quarters.

Janet waited till she was out of the room before visibly relaxing and sitting down at the console. She flicked three switches before pressing the execute button to wake up the rest of the crew. Today was going to go down as a momentous one in the history of the human race. A new alien species. A 'sentient' alien species and one that was even more advanced than they were.

What ever happened, her life was going to change. She could see huge dollar signs attached to the hull of the broken ship down there. She could retire early and cruise the galaxy as a tourist rather than a slave to coin.

Maybe she'd be famous. Get a trophy wife out of it. Maybe she'd even have enough money to put out a hit on the Captain. Splash out on a few ex-marines. Oh, that would be just swell. The chance to get her back after so many years of belittling comments in front of the subordinates.

She leaned over the console and held the button down to address the ship. "All personnel report to the bridge for new salvage operation brief. Baker: activate Exeter and Findley and ensure all other droids are ready if needed. Chief Jakande please report to bridge. Thank you."

She looked back at the display. The weather had started to calm and the sun would be up in just over an hour's time. She smiled contentedly to herself and began typing into the ship's log:

13-09-2680. ADVANCED ALIEN SHIP DISCOVERED ON PLANETOID LV-426. WORK DETAILS TO BE DEPLOYED DOWN TO PLANET'S SURFACE TO INSPECT VESSEL AND MAKE DETAILED ANALYSIS. SALVAGE OPERATIONS TO FOLLOW.

"Salvage operations to follow." She read back out to herself. "You bet your sweet aunt, there will. And if there's something there for me- I'm keeping it." She hit the 'enter' button and sat back. "Thirteenth of September... I'll remember this day for the rest of my soon-to-be glorious life."

She stood and clapped her hands like an excited child during the gift giving season. Presents galore and _all_ surprises!

She loved surprises and this ship was going to be full of them.

Yes, she was feeling good. She was feeling very good indeed.


	2. Uninvited Guests

**Chapter Two: Uninvited Guests**

Walker had never seen anything like it. The large alien growing out of the chair was at first sight something he found difficult to comprehend. A true cyborg: cybernetic mechanics and living flesh in symbiotic union. He was a space jockey; at one with the ship he was piloting.

But looks had been deceiving. On further analysis, it had simply turned out to be a humanoid, secured by way of organic harnesses that had fossilised along with the dead man. Either way, he didn't know what he was more excited by, the discovery of this new off-world species, or the more diminutive female lying unconscious, but alive in the stasis chamber.

_What the hell was she doing there? Or was she the typical female of this newly discovered life form?_

Gadget had taken a few seconds to translate the markings on the side of the pod and entered the correct order of keystrokes to open it.

The girl stirred, grumbling words only she could understand, the mask and delivery tubes falling from her upper body as she pulled herself up into a sitting position.

"Step back, Gadget." Walker ordered the droid softly, never taking his eyes off the girl.

"Yes, William." Gadget replied, stepping back out of the way.

Oz Bates placed a hand on the artificial human's shoulder. He was the only one out of the eight people on board ship who saw the machines as having anything approaching human status; Artificial Sentience had been outlawed two hundred years earlier after the revolt.

"Miss? Can you hear me?" Asked Walker.

Elizabeth looked around, then at the floor, where, from her perspective, just ten seconds earlier, she had killed the immature Xenomorph. There were no signs of it anymore, though she thought she could see a darker, slicker patch on the floor where the creature's final resting place had been. "Gone. Dead." Her voice was rough and dry. She squinted up at the two men. "Are you human?"

"What?" Walker was unsure what she said.

"Are you human- from Earth?

"Yeah, we're human." Said Walker and looked around at Bates and his robot helper. "Most of us anyway. Some of the guys in Utilities- bit retarded, but I think we can call them human." The joke seemed to fall on deaf ears. The girl's mind was elsewhere. "You from Hadley's Hope?"

Elizabeth was uninterested in his words. She was still in a state of shock from the Xenomorph battle. "Hadley's Hope? I don't know what that is." She looked up at the man. "How long- when- what year is this?" She found it unlikely the ship would have been found soon after the crash. Finding a small planetoid, light years from Earth was like finding an atom in a haystack.

"2680." Replied Billy.

Elizabeth laughed, though the sound coming from her throat sounded a bit like a donkey braying. "Twenty-six..."

"How long you been here?" He probed.

Elizabeth's mind began swimming as they spoke, as the man continued asking his questions. She'd been asleep in the wreck for almost five hundred years. It had seemed like an instant to her. All that history- life and death- going on with her as a modern day Sleeping Beauty. She felt queasy. "I'm thirsty."

Billy gave her a flask of water, talking as he did so. Her mind was elsewhere. She just wanted to get back home; though home now was a place she was sure she would no longer recognise. All her loved ones would be dead. Her expertise in her scientific field would be as dated as an alchemist's in the nuclear age.

"Are you okay?" Billy asked finally.

Without pausing and without emotion, Elizabeth touched her stomach. "I'm pregnant."

At last, there was something positive in the air. He congratulated her, but soon the happy thoughts were replaced by the reality of the situation. The father would be dead.

The conversation was awkward. When she said her child was 'five hours old', it just got creepy. Then she said that would make it 'about a week'?

She was making no sense. The extended hypersleep had taken its toll, obviously.

_Best just to get her back to the ship_, he thought.

He let Oz take her back to the dropship with Gadget while he took a few more scans for the data files. He buzzed Chan for an update on how she was getting along.

Her voice came back, her normal sunny disposition still shining brightly over the comms link. "Hey, how goes it with you?"

"On our way back to Willy." He said.

"Find anything?"

He explained to her about the girl and her pregnancy, Heidi taking the chance to flirt with him as he did so.

Billy always felt awkward about this. Personal talk during operations was frowned upon. And he knew the Captain didn't approve of their coupling in any way.

"_You_ find anything?" He asked in return.

Heidi and Exeter had found the cargo bay and the contents therein. "A whole cargo hold full of these egg-like things..."

"Why don't you put a few in a basket and bring them over to the ship. We'll have a look-see. Make sure you give Nat a heads up before you get back." Heidi was notorious for avoiding salvage protocols. The Captain had spoken harshly to her many times on the subject. But it was never an ideal situation and Heidi always tried to test the water. See how far she could push her.

"Nat can go fuck herself." Grumbled Heidi under her breath before speaking more clearly. "Yeah."

"See you back at the ship." Finished Billy.

"Love you." She said playfully.

He cringed. "Not over the comms, Heidi.

He was such a stiff, she thought, which is why she loved to tease him. "No one cares, Billy."

_Yeah, right, _he thought. _Try not being the captain's baby-sister. See how far your games get you then._

He clicked off and left for the dropship back to Willy. Though he always feared for Chan with her nonchalant, carefree attitude, she had Exeter with her. It was the most experienced of all the droids.

_He_ would take care of her, even if _she_ wouldn't take care of herself.

She moved closer to the edge, where the cargo bay dropped down, Exeter's quick reactions only stopping her from slipping down into the lower storage area as her foot broke the strange sheet that covered the collection beneath.

It made a humming sound that desisted once she removed her foot from it.

"Thanks, Ex." She said relieved. "That could've been painful."

"You're quite all right, Heidi. The fall to the base is substantial." Exeter was programmed to be reassuring, despite his lack of actual feelings.

"Yes." Agreed Heidi, though the fall was only about two metres. Not deep enough for any serious damage. "Glad I've got you with me."

"So am I. If you'd like, I can jump down and inspect the-" His attention was caught by something. "Please wait." Exeter looked more keenly at one of the ovoids. There was a disturbance.

Out of the corner of her eye, Heidi thought she saw movement too and moved in closer for a better look.

**(2)**

Under normal circumstances, Elizabeth would've been in awe at what awaited her. The ship was immaculate. The smooth contours of the exterior of the dropship were mirrored on the inside. The corridors were plain white, but at regular intervals a faint grey line showed the border of a two-dimensional display screen that came to life with voice activation.

On board the mothership, in each room sat a console from which three-dimensional images could be projected. There was a personal stasis chamber and a matter assembler that provided her with simple foods that could be heated or cooled to a preferred temperature. The furniture was fully retractable, either into the walls or up from the floor.

It was simultaneously spartan, yet plush at the same time.

The only thing that had to be shared were the ablutions and toilet facilities.

Elizabeth hadn't felt the delight of complete cleanliness for over two weeks, since they had reanimated the infected, decapitated head of the Engineer which had demonstrated its mortality in an explosion of green slime in the med lab. As she returned from the shower, she found the Captain sat on a chair in the corner of her room.

Elizabeth was caught off-guard by her presence. They obviously didn't believe in privacy in the twenty-seventh century.

Natasha didn't look at her as she walked in. She was staring at one of the blank walls.

Elizabeth was in no mood for socialising. The recent events had taken their toll on her emotionally. Physically she had never felt this robust. The alien stasis chamber had worked with paramount efficiency. Her cells, and those of the foetus inside her, were regenerated and free from imperfections. It had restored her foot after the acid wound, both flesh and bone, and her abdominal wound from the extraction of the squid-like creature on LV-223 had vanished.

The chamber had even removed all skin blemishes. She felt young. Younger. But only on the outside. Inside her head she felt dry, like an old, vacant husk. There was only one cure for this malaise, and that was the impending paradigm of motherhood.

She walked over to the table that extended from the wall and dropped her towel, standing naked to the room.

Natasha looked over at her, unfazed by her boldness, "My name's Natasha Rivera. I'm captain of this ship."

Elizabeth dressed quietly.

Natasha waited for Elizabeth to introduce herself.

She picked up the towel at her feet, "Where's dirty laundry?" She asked.

Natasha spoke into the air between them, "Willy: laundry."

There was a double beep before a receptacle slid out and waited for Elizabeth to make her deposit.

She dropped the towel in and took the Captain's lead. "Willy: I want a cup of tea."

"How would you like your beverage?" Came the deep, resonating voice of the ship's computer.

"Strong, warm, milk."

A light began flashing steadily over the serving platform. Elizabeth waited patiently for the drink to emerge. However advanced this ship was compared to the ones from the twenty-first century, they weren't a patch on the alien ship's facsimile machines.

A double beep and the light stayed on while the cup of tea was conveyed forward.

The mug, like almost everything else on board, was white. She lifted it and blew on the surface, causing a nervous ripple and a release of aromatic pleasure. She took a sip and smiled. It tasted like home.

Like her _memory_ of home.

"My name is Elizabeth Shaw. 'Doctor' Elizabeth Shaw. I'm an archaeologist from England." She frowned as she said this and thought about what she'd just said. "Does England still exist?"

"What?" Natasha despised idiocy, but this woman had been asleep for five hundred years. There had been wars and billions of deaths since her time. It was feasible her country no longer existed. "It still exists. I'm English myself."

"Your accent is unusual." Said Elizabeth.

Natasha ignored the observation and stood. "Well, _Doctor_ Shaw..." Her voice was calm as she strolled to the centre of the room, "Willy: display Quarantine Area 2 on dropship Charlie."

The hologram flowed down from the ceiling like a waterfall until the image was full.

"Well, 'doctor'," She repeated in a nonchalant tone escalating to a more forceful one as she spoke, "do you mind telling me what the _fuck_ these things are?!"

Elizabeth stumbled back away from it as though it was actually there in the room. It was a pair of facehuggers crouched on the floor, their tails coiled beneath them as though ready to pounce at a moment's notice.

"These _things_ almost killed my sister. They probably would've done if it wasn't for one of our utility droids." The Captain showed little room for humour. She wanted an answer. A good one.

Elizabeth continued to move away from the display until she reached the wall. Natasha stood and walked over to the display, examining them more closely. She turned towards Elizabeth. "What are they? They've obviously got you scared."

Elizabeth tried to settle herself. All she wanted was a little time away from the horror. _Was that too much to ask?!_

"They're... they're... they attack the face-"

"No shit- 'they attack the fucking face'. My sister is currently in deep sedation just so she can get over them both attacking her fucking face. What the _fuck_ did you have aboard that ship? Why were you carrying these things?"

"'We'?" Elizabeth was confused as to why this woman was accusing her of this. Didn't she know what she'd been through to get here? "This had nothing to do with me. Those people that flew that ship had these..." But she was confused herself. Where did they come from? "I didn't know they were on board. I was being held prisoner."

Natasha waved a hand at her to stop talking. She could see she was telling the truth. She turned her back to her again and looked at the animals. "Our Science Officer said they're parasites... though she can't be too sure as they destroyed the instruments we used to obtain tissue samples." The Captain stood face-on to her, challenging her. "Tell me what you know."

Elizabeth shook her head. "What I know, Captain, is that these things don't belong on this ship."

"They're not on this ship. They're on the surface of the planet we found _you_ on. They were in the cargo hold. Hundreds of them."

"Hundreds..." Elizabeth was in a state of shock. She had slept for over half a millennium, while all the time, hundreds of these things had been stored no more than a hundred metres away. Her mind churned over the events that had occurred. How had they got on board?

The answer was simple. "Yeshua."

"What?" Natasha wasn't interested in the woman's inner-monologue. "Tell me what you know."

"We- David and I, we had to escape. We were prisoner of an alien called Yeshua. He must've brought these onto the new ship. They're very dangerous."

"No shit, they're dangerous. Their goddamn blood burned a hole in the fuselage of that dropship. We're having to repair it before it can return to the outer-atmosphere." The Captain said scornfully.

"Look, these things have nothing to do with me. They tried to kill me!" Elizabeth wasn't appreciating the tone with which she was addressing her.

All Natasha wanted to do was slap her to stop her bleating. She held her with a disdainful look.

After a few seconds, she cancelled the display, the luminous atoms falling to the floor in a glorious shower of pixels and returned to her seat.

Elizabeth didn't want to argue with her, but she had to admit, she was starting to feel far less self-pity. Maybe there was something to this confrontation lark that kept you sane.

She placed her hand on her forehead and closed her eyes in the hope her thoughts would clear.

Natasha helped her along. "Who's David?"

_Of course... David!_ "He's still on the ship. You want answers, you need to salvage him from the wreck."

"Salvage him?" She was confused. "There are more stasis chambers?"

"No. He's in one of the quarters." Said Elizabeth. "He's a synthetic. He helped me." That was an understatement of galactic proportions and she knew it.

"Did he now?" Natasha said without danger of empathy.

"Yes." Confirmed Elizabeth. She was resolute. "I owe him my life."


	3. David-8 Reborn

**Chapter Three: 'David 8' Reborn**

The revolt of the twenty-fifth century had led to the banning of A.S.- Artificial Sentience. Any robots being built after this law was passed had to be built without the ability to mimic human emotions and empathy. They had to have a caring nature, as prescribed in their primary laws, but there could never be anything more than a cold execution of their tasks. Any reference to them as having gender was socially incorrect. They were no more human than the tools they themselves used to effect husbandry and maintenance of their human's estate. As tools, they were not allowed to show a differing respect, whether they 'talked with crowds or walked with kings', as Rudyard Kipling had put it, they addressed their user by their first name. The only priority they made towards humans was that the safety of children be of more importance than the safety of adults.

A priority irrelevant on board deep space salvage vessels.

All were equal here.

**(2)**

Exeter had caught the facehugger by the tail. Immediately, the animal released a chemical to alert any surrounding eggs it was in distress and another parasite should be birthed.

"Run, Heidi!" Shouted Exeter with an urgency in his voice Heidi had never heard before. "You need to get back to the dropship!"

She didn't need to be told twice. She bolted towards the open hatchway back into the bowels of the derelict ship. Exeter stayed behind her all the time, shouting directions to her. "I don't mean to alarm you further- go left- but there is another creature following us. It appears- turn left, then right- to be catching us."

Heidi looked behind instinctively. She noticed Exeter still had hold of the first attacker which was thrashing wildly in his hand, trying to escape his firm grip. "What are you doing?!" She shouted in between breaths.

"If I let go- turn left and head towards the light. Be careful of the drop back to the planet's surface- the creature will attack. It will be difficult- be careful of the drop, Heidi-" He turned, waiting for the next attack as Heidi negotiated the crack in the ship's hull. "to stop both creatures from attacking you." He completed.

The second facehugger scuttled to the side, trying to avoid the organic prey's mechanical defender.

Exeter was faster, however. And stronger than the first facehugger that was still trying to wriggle free.

He caught the second one by the tail as it tried to zip by him. It wasn't difficult. The animal was merely a brainless vehicle. It headed in a straight line as described to it by its genetic code.

He had two tigers by the tail, and he wasn't going to let go. He activated the comms system so Heidi, who was moving swiftly away, could hear him. "I shall wait here with the creatures, Heidi." He spoke calmly. It was as though he had invited her in for a leisurely coffee and a chat. "Once you are safely back inside the dropship, I shall release the creatures and make my way back."

Heidi didn't respond. She was dumbed into silence by the shock of what had happened. The distance between both ships was only a couple of hundred metres. She would be safe soon enough.

"Be careful over the terrain, Heidi. The ground is quite uneven around the dropship."

She was very light footed and her return was uneventful. Exeter looked down at the two creatures making a detailed visual analysis of them so the crew aboard Slick Willy could see what had attacked Heidi.

Heidi reached the outer hatch, the door slowly opened, and she was in.

A voice came through over the comms system. It wasn't Heidi. It was the Science Officer, Janet Russo. "Exeter- do not release the animals. Do you hear me? Do not!"

"Yes, Janet. I read you. 'Do not release the animals'." He repeated.

"You will take them to the quarantine areas on board dropship Charlie. You can wait there with them."

"Of course, Janet. They are fascinating creatures, aren't they?"

"Yes, Exeter. You've done well. And you saved Heidi's life. You should be commended for your efforts."

"Thank you, Janet. That means a lot to me." In actual fact, it meant absolutely nothing to him. It meant as much as if she had told him he had caused Heidi's agonising death due to his massive incompetence, though this is something that would be highly unlikely. His programming had the safety of the crew as his highest priority. The pleasantry was all affectation. But a necessary one nonetheless. The appearance of human nature was a positive enhancement to the smooth running of the ship and the sanity of the crew. The more human interaction there was, the healthier they would be mentally and emotionally.

"I'll have Gadget provide you with instruments to analyse the things, okay? They'll be waiting for you in... Quarantine Area Two." Russo added.

"Thank you, Janet. I shall enjoy studying them. It will be a most rewarding endeavour. I have-"

Janet cut the comms, but continued to observe the events through Exeter's optic and audio sensors via the holographic display. Whatever these things were, they would have some financial value to them and as long as that figure was rising, she was getting closer to her retirement fund target.

An advanced alien ship; a fossilised alien pilot; a human female from a stasis pod; and hundreds of aggressive alien creatures in the hold. All found within minutes of each other. Ticks in the box. She hoped there would be more ticks on their way. She was sure there would be.

**(3)**

_The Captain waited until she was sure Heidi was okay before ordering the retrieval of David. Supervising her sister was something she had never wanted to do. She was erratic. But she had wanted to see the galaxy, and what better way than with her big sister to look out for her._

_And then there was the relationship with Billy Walker, the Chief Mechanic._

_Chief Mechanic- another name for engine room dog's body. Higher in rank only to the Utility Droids. Heidi had to go for him. Why couldn't she just be a lesbian like Russo and the ship's Medical Officer, Felicetti? The sonic bath's kept them two quiet on the sexual front, though they never took one together. Never together. It was a struggle just to get them both in the same room as each other without them threatening to strangle one another. But of course, her sister was worse than them. She was nothing but stress. She needed cock._

_But then again, so did Natasha._

Dropship 'Victor' transported Harpo, the fourth of the android quartet, down to the surface where it accompanied its counterpart, Gadget, back into the alien ship. The Captain wasn't going to risk human life salvaging a damaged, twenty-first century mechanical head. The two droids were expendable.

They took fossilised samples from Kane and Yeshua, the two enormous aliens whom Elizabeth had called Engineers, before ascending to the second deck where David lay inanimate and beat-up on the floor of the living quarters.

As Gadget lifted him, there was a stickiness where his artificial blood had seeped out and reduced down into a viscous tack over time.

"How does it look, Gadget?" Asked the Captain over the comms.

"It looks badly damaged, Natasha. There's an alien construction connected at the base of the David unit. It looks like an interface. It may help us when-"

"Thank you, Gadget. Just bag it and get it back up here." She was indifferent to Gadget's droning monologue.

"I have samples from the two alien humanoids, Natasha." Chimed in Harpo.

"Thank you, Harpo. Captain out." She turned off the comms. She didn't want to get into a conversation with them. They were like a perpetual cock-block. "It's like having a conversation with a fucking Christian."

She turned round to Sammy, the Chief Engineer. "I want any data downloaded as soon as it's up here. Make it your top priority."

"Gotcha, Cap. Oz'll think it's his birthday. How's Charlie?" He asked.

"Gadget repaired the outer hull. It'll be back once quarantine protocols have been met. You'll have your shuttle back, Chief."

He smiled. No matter how brusque Natasha was with everyone else, Sammy always knew how to take her. Their connection was more than platonic. They had a 'special' relationship. "Are you still mad at me, Cap?"

"I want to know what happened to Findley, Samuel."

"I told you about that. There was a landslide. It got trapped. Its hand was crushed. There was magnetic ore around that affected its matrix." Sammy put a feigned expression of innocence on his face. _Not me guv'ner._

He knew he was lying.

_She_ knew he was lying.

He knew she knew he was lying.

But he also knew she couldn't prove he was lying.

So he continued to lie, no matter what she accused of him.

And she persisted in asking. It was a game they were playing. "You're talking bollocks. Its fucking memory was wiped, Sammy. Tell me how that happened. Bates is the only one with the expertise to do a memory wipe without leaving a trace. He's too numb in the head to know not to fuck with me. You did something on that planet and you got Bates to cover for you. If you think you can keep this from me for another year and a half, then you're even more stupid than you look."

"Oh, please." Sammy stood, Natasha turning her back to him as he walked over to her. "Trust me, Cap." He put his hands around her waist and he pulled her close.

"Chief..." She wanted to play hard to get. She was failing badly.

"Captain..." Sammy didn't want to play. He wanted something else. He moved a hand up to cup her breast.

She closed her eyes and moved her head back to feel his breath against her neck. "You're full of shit. When Charlie gets back, I want it good as new before the end of the week. You got me?"

"Gotcha, boss. Loud and clear. Now..." He looked around the room to see what choices he had. "Do you want it on the floor, against the wall, or over the desk?"

She didn't mind where she had it, just as long as she got it soon. "You choose." She breathed.

Samuel liked to be in charge, though only because it was Natasha who had the real power outside of their relationship. Superior rank was a potent aphrodisiac. "Okay..." He said as he began to slowly lift her top, "you're the Captain, Captain."

**(4)**

In the twenty-fourth hour after boarding Slick Willy, Elizabeth felt a bubbling sensation in her abdomen. She asked for a high protein mix from the food facsimile machine. She found she had been feeling hunger pangs regularly and enjoyed having the ability to sate them. Food had been sparse over the previous two weeks.

She could relax now. The ship was safe. _She_ was safe. The monsters were on the planet below.

She picked up the nutritious, yet bland gruel and felt the sensation again. It was different from the normal tummy rumble. It wasn't a groan, it was definitely a bubbling feeling that rose up like a faint tickle. It was most confusing and it wasn't till she swallowed a mouthful of her food that it occurred to her just what it was she was experiencing.

"Oh my god!" She stopped in the middle of the room. Completely still, as though she was processing data like a droid. She put her hand to her mouth in ecstatic delight. It was the baby. The baby was kicking. She dropped the bowl to the floor, the mixture covering her feet in a celebratory _splat_.

"Oh my god. It's you. I feel you. You're really there." She said in electrified awe. "And I'm going to give birth to you on a spaceship called Slick Willy." She said sarcastically. "Great."

**(5)**

"Look at you." Oz couldn't remove the smile from his face. Yes, the thing was out of its original wrapping and not in the best condition, but it was here in his hands. It was an original; from the first century of its conception. It was a 'David'. A 'David 8' to be exact. He hoped he could get it working again, but if he couldn't, he would have it put in a case, like you'd do with a milestone baseball caught by a fan.

This was Babe Ruth's 700th homer!

"Do you think you can repair him, or at least get him functional again?" Elizabeth held little hope, but if anything could be done for him, she would be grateful.

"We'll have to wait and see. The programming and the hardware is old, and there's been a fair amount of degradation, _and _it's pretty badly damaged." He turned the head over in his hands in order to explore every contour of the thing with his own eyes first. "But we'll give it a go. We should be able to get something out of it."

Elizabeth frowned. "'Him'."

"What's that?" Asked Oz.

"'Him'. You keep calling him 'it'. He's a 'he', not an 'it'."

Oz grimaced. It was strange to hear someone talk about an android in such a way. She was showing her antiquated ways. "You can't call it by gender, Elizabeth."

"Call me Ellie- why can't I? He was designed as a 'he', not an 'it'." She stood her ground.

"But it's not a 'he', or a 'she', it's an 'it'._ It's_ a droid." He persisted. He understood that she knew nothing of what had occurred in the years she had been away and so was patient to fill her in. "Look, you don't know the trouble it caused having gender and sentience assigned to these things."

Elizabeth was about to argue her case, but she was stopped by a raised hand from the man.

"But... I'm on your side. These things aren't just mindless entities. They're designed to be human. The biggest difference, apart from the absence of feelings, is the absence of respect _we_ pay to _them_. Every family has one. Every child is raised by one. But at the end of the day, once they have reached a point where they no longer fulfil their duties, the defective ones are thrown away." Oz held her gaze. She was listening intently to him. "But not by me. They're my life. Just don't think you're going to get the others to see it our way. Okay, Ellie?"

Elizabeth smiled and shook her head. The man who had been so taciturn when she herself was discovered, had turned out to be the person with whom she now felt closest to on the ship. "You get _him_ going again and I'll prove to everyone he's as much a human as we are. He's definitely more human than that Captain of yours."

"Ship's Captain." He corrected. "I just work here."

His words reminded her of Janek, the Captain of the Prometheus. She was saddened by this. He was a good man. He'd given his life, along with his pilots, to save Earth.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." She changed the subject back to what they'd been talking about. "And if you don't want any genders, why do they all look male?" Elizabeth quizzed him.

"That's obvious." He replied.

"Is it?" But from his response, Elizabeth had quickly worked out what it was.

Oz expounded anyway. He continued to examine David as he spoke. "Do you know how many men were injured because of female looking robots? It was like an epidemic. They just saw them as interactive sex dolls. Very expensive and advanced sex dolls that don't tell any secrets... until they get taken in to be repaired, that is. Then we'd have access to its whole database and visual partitions." He looked inside David's neck and poked his finger round.

Elizabeth felt uncomfortable watching him do this. It was like he was fiddling around with a dead body. A body whom she had known personally.

Oz continued: "Only seemed to be heterosexual men that injured themselves though. Don't ask me why..." He turned David so they were face to face and shook him, before looking to see if there was a response. "Had to give that a go. You never know, eh?"

"His power cells were fractured six hundred ago. I don't think his kinetic functions are in any condition to respond." She joked.

"This interface is of alien design?" He asked.

Elizabeth nodded. "We needed it to fight the Xenomorph." How natural it was for her to say such an unnatural sentence, she thought.

He began tugging at it. "Well... we need to get rid of it then." The wiring pulled free and he dropped it onto the worktop. "Gadget. Have a look at that, please. See what you can get from it."

Gadget walked forward and took the electronic device in his hand, a smile across his face. "It would be my pleasure, Oswald."

Elizabeth laughed, shocking both herself and Oz. "Oh god. Sorry."

"What?" Asked Oz, nonplussed.

"Nothing." She said trying to hold back the smile.

"What?" He insisted.

"It's... well, your name."

"Oswald?"

She laughed again, only this time she didn't bother to hold it in.

"What's wrong with that?" He found himself smiling back. There was nothing wrong with his name. There were many 'Oswalds' around.

"It's a funny name. 'Oswald'." She looked him up and down. "I mean, look at you. You're as big as a house. Oswald is a librarian or a farmer from the bible belt at best."

"'Bible belt'?" He was very confused. "You mean like in the olden days?"

Elizabeth stopped laughing but continued to smile.

"Hey," said Oz, "it's you that sounds all... 'hey nonny-nonny'. With _Ye Olde Worlde_ accent and outdated references."

"What do you mean?" She was enjoying the banter. She was feeling closer to him.

"'Bible belt'? 'Librarian'? Androids are 'real people'?" He wasn't going to say it. He had been affected badly by people in the past, but he too was enjoying himself. "You need to get with the times. This is the twenty-seventh century, you know. Not the Dark Ages."

Elizabeth curtsied. "By your leave, sire."

Oz waved her away light-heartedly. "_Forsooth, yonder maiden_."

There was a vibration and David moved slightly in his hands. "Shit." He looked at the eyelids twitching.

"What is it?" Asked Elizabeth staring intently at him.

"Power is restored, Oswald." Said Gadget.

Elizabeth didn't laugh at his name this time. She was more interested in David's condition. "David?"

There was no movement.

Oz looked at Gadget. "Is the power still flowing?"

"Yes, Oswald. The power is stable. The technology is quite advanced. There is little degradation of it structural integrity." It added.

"The power transmission is wireless?" Oz asked.

"Yes. There is a flow of electrons being emitted." Gadget could see the transference that was invisible to Oz's eyes.

Elizabeth hadn't taken a breath since the first signs of movement and it was only as she spoke she realised it. "The ship powered-" She ran out of breath quickly and coughed. "Sorry. The ship powered the interface. The interface acted as a backup power supply to David since his own was running down."

"The interface is now being powered by our ship, Elizabeth." Concurred Gadget.

All eyes were still on David.

"David. Can you hear me?" Asked Elizabeth tentatively.

It was a sound Elizabeth had heard before. It was coming from his auditory speakers. "Yes, I can hear you."

"Oh my god!" She screamed. "David..." She couldn't think of anything to say.

"My optical sensors don't seem to be functioning. If you don't mind me asking, where are we?"

"We're on board a ship. We crash into a planet... though you know that already. You need to update your internal clock; we're in the year 2680."

"That's quite remarkable. My construction is most sturdy, wouldn't you agree?"

"You're amazing." Said Oz. "I'm an Engineer on this ship. My name is Oz- wald." He looked at Elizabeth. He knew she'd be smiling cheekily.

"Pleased to meet you, Oswald."

"Call me 'Oz'. The pleasure is all mine, David."

"I have many questions, as you can understand." Said David.

Elizabeth turned to Oz. "Do you think we could transfer data straight to his hard drive? It'd save time."

Oz looked at Gadget. "What do think, Gadget?"

"Please set your neural link to receive data, David." Said Gadget.

"My neural link is on continuously. There is no facility to set it otherwise. Wait a moment please, Gadget."

Elizabeth felt herself getting emotional. It was like watching two toddlers having a conversation with each other.

"My processors seem to be functioning within normal parameters. You may begin the data transfer at two zetabytes per minute to be safe. There is the possibility of overload."

"Don't worry, David," said Gadget, "Your safety is of utmost importance to me. I shall monitor your systems closely."

"Much obliged." Said David. "You may begin when ready."

"Transfer beginning now." There were no buttons hit or voice commands heard. Gadget activated it wirelessly itself.

For a few minutes, nobody spoke. They were _all _monitoring David, watching for any signs of malfunction.

The completion of the process was announced by Gadget. "Transfer complete. Respond please, David."

His voice was quiet, but there was a subtle change in the tone in which he spoke. "Weyland Industries merged with the Yutani Corporation. Weyland-Yutani defunct in the year 2321 CE." It was as though he was reading from a history book.

Elizabeth was curious as to why these were to be his first words after the receipt of so much data. He had learned so much about the world in just a few minutes, more than she would probably learn in the next fifty years, and he seemed to gravitate to the company that designed and built him.

On second thoughts, it was obvious. He was as concerned about _them_ as she was about her family. He felt attachment to them.

But she was wrong. If he had control of his expressions, he would have been exhibiting a smile that showed the full extent of his facial dexterity. "The king is dead; there will be no more."

Elizabeth felt she should console him. "David, I'm sorry."

"No," Said David, "you don't understand. I was the property of Weyland Industries. My top priority is to report to them and be under their control."

"Right." Said Elizabeth.

"Weyland-Yutani has been defunct for 359 years, 4 months and 3 days."

Elizabeth still didn't see his point. "Yes?"

"Don't you see, Elizabeth?" Said David. "I'm free."


	4. Unnatural Evolution

**Chapter Four: Unnatural Evolution**

"The baby is doing well." Said Aria. "A phenomenal metabolic rate. And you say you were... impregnated... by a liquid solution alone?"

Aria's staccato flow, or rather, lack of flow was nauseating to Elizabeth.

She nodded. "That's right."

"There was no sexual congress... or vaginal insemination? Just oral administration?" She continued.

"He gave me a drink. A glass of water..."Elizabeth said solemnly. "And then he blessed it with a prayer and touched me on the head."

"What?! You didn't say anything about-" Aria stopped as she saw the smile come over Elizabeth's face. She wasn't impressed. "You're not helping."

"No, doctor." Elizabeth was feeling naughty. She had experienced peril at its most profound. The staleness of social etiquette was something she was not happy to be bound by right now.

Doctor Felicetti studied the information on her screens. She was impressed to the point of incredulity at how healthy was Elizabeth's cellular structure. "It seems... this species... have, or had... quite an understanding of biology... and chemistry, let alone physics. You say the creatures down there in quarantine were constructed?"

"David had more information than I have, but they were designed to be weapons of mass murder." Answered Elizabeth. "The planet we launched from was a weapons depot."

"That's interesting... if not utterly abhorrent. But..." She looked from the information she was studying and smiled at Elizabeth, but it seemed like it wasn't a caring smile, more a smile that said- 'you didn't do too badly out of it, now did you?', "you seem to have come out of it fit and well."

Elizabeth stayed quiet. The woman's attitude was beginning to grate inside her head.

Aria continued in her stop-start manner, "Their stasis chambers..."

"They're highly advanced, yes." Elizabeth was getting impatient with how long it was taking her to construct her sentences. "The species have been travelling the galaxy for billions of years. They're highly advanced..." She thought about just what the word 'advanced' meant. "In their technology, anyway. Their morals are utterly abhorrent, as you say."

"Yes." Aria was thoughtful for a moment. If she'd needed glasses, Elizabeth felt the woman would be chewing one of the arms as she regarded her. "Retarded morals." She mused.

Elizabeth agreed.

"Couldn't fix your robot though." She said quickly, catching Elizabeth by surprise, before returning to her analysis. "Your baby is fine. Growing at an amazing rate. It's about the size of a two month old foetus and at this rate should be with us in... about five days. Remarkable."

Elizabeth stayed quiet. The doctor had revealed herself to be medically adept, yet empathetically inept after her quip regarding David.

Elizabeth had announced the cascade failure and resultant neural capitulation of David's matrix to the Captain not an hour ago. This had been less than an hour after his reactivation. Aria obviously hadn't worried she would hurt Elizabeth's feelings.

Maybe it was her way of pointing out to Elizabeth that David was indeed just an 'it'. Aria's job was all about 'human' well-being. Everything else was of lesser import.

"Thank you, doctor. I'll see myself out." Elizabeth said as she slid off the observation platform.

"Thank you."Aria said with routine automation. "I shall see you again in twenty-four hours, yes?"

"I'll be here." Elizabeth left without further pleasantries and headed in the direction of her quarters.

**(2)**

She'd been walking for fifteen minutes. She'd doubled and tripled back and finally found herself in a section of the ship that had a different design than the areas she had walked through before. There were strips that looked like chrome running vertically from ceiling to floor (though she was sure it would be something far more exotic and advance than lowly chrome). The walls here were an 'off-white' colour; a sort of very light-beige and the outline of two-dimensional screens were less regularly spaced.

She stopped and looked back down the corridor from where she had trudged. "Shit." She said. "I'm lost, aren't I?"

From her conversation with Oz, she had been told there was almost five miles of walkway on almost level onboard this colossal vessel. Thirty vertical levels. If the computers ever went down, you could walk for days without ever finding where you were going.

There were twenty dropships he had added (that were also kitted out to be viable shuttles and lifeboats), spaced liberally between twenty-six of the thirty levels. She had passed just three of them on her travels, but each time she had felt their pull. She saw Meredith Vickers face each time she had come across one. "I like to minimise risk." Her philosophy hadn't helped her in the end.

She became pensive. She found her thoughts drifting away into areas she didn't want to go.

The wall next to her illuminated and a voice made her jump.

"You lost?" It was Samuel Jakande, the Chief Engineer.

"You scared me." She smiled at the screen. "I was trying to find my way back to quarters.

"You can ask Willy to show you the way. He'll-"

"Yes, I know. I was trying to familiarise myself." She explained.

"Right. You know you're about a quarter mile from your destination?" He asked. "You're pretty lost."

"Think I might ask Willy." She laughed awkwardly.

"You know," He began, "you could have a look around the engine bay, if you like? I'll give you a personal tour."

She could see something in his eye. There was a lascivious shadow lurking behind his words. _How long would it be before you ask me if I wouldn't be more comfortable with my top off,_ she thought. "Maybe some other time, Chief."

"Call me Sammy, please."

"Sure. Thank you, Sammy. Bye." She walked away and the screen went blank, blending seamlessly into the wall. "Willy: can you show me the way back to my quarters, please?"

At regular intervals along the wall, green chevrons illuminated. "Please follow the green lights on the wall in the direction of the arrows, Elizabeth."

"Thank you, Willy."

"My pleasure, Elizabeth." Said the computer.

As she followed the directions laid out for her back into the white zone, she thought how odd it was that the Chief had referred to Willy as 'he'. 'It' was only reserved for artificial humanoids, it appeared, not the more 'grander' entities.

**(3)**

The screen dimmed slightly, signifying that Elizabeth had ended the conversation from her side. Sammy watched as she walked away, back down the corridor until she turned the corner and went out of sight.

He'd had Natasha. He'd been having her since their second time out of hypersleep. Heidi was off limits. He could see himself having his balls cut off if he went anywhere near her. And besides, his protégé, Billy, had claimed her now. Aria was off the menu. Pity. Janet was off the menu too. Thank god. The only other female on board was Martha, the pilot and she was just... no, he wouldn't be going there.

But now there was a new girl in town. And by god, she was pregnant! There was no chance of making a mistake and then being told she wouldn't have an abortion. He could have as many goes on her as he wanted without the threat of fatherhood.

_Well, until she started showing, that is, and that wouldn't be for a few months, right?_

He turned away from the screen and watched Oz work. He'd been in the workshop early working with Findley on the antique head. "You gonna have a go at that?"

"It's burnt out." Replied Oz.

"Not the head, you idiot. This new girl. Ellie." Sammy was fishing; wanting permission to have his own shot. The Captain need not know.

Oz didn't answer him. "Findley."

There was a momentary pause. "Yes, Oswald."

"Go catch up to Ellie. Give her a tour of the ship if she'd like it."

Findley left the engine bay.

Sammy watched it leave. "I can take a hint, Oz." He said laughing. "I'd like to give her a tour. A tour of my recreation area. You know what I mean?" He found this highly amusing.

Oz sat David's head on the worktop and took a box from the stores rack, filling it with packing foam. He placed David's head inside and filled it to the top, before securing the lid.

Sammy wasn't expecting much conversation from the man. He'd never met anyone who enjoyed the company of droids so much more than the living. "Another one bites the dust, hey?"

Oz stood and threw the box under his arm. "Something like that. When's Charlie due back?"

Back to shop talk. The guy was no fun. "They're waiting for Hotel to fly back before it lifts off. The Captain wants the full crew back aboard before those creatures come up."

Oz was confused. "Why's Hotel down there?"

"You know these fucking women. Got one more trip. They think it'll make them suddenly more fuckable. Anything to stay young looking, right?" Said Sammy derisorily.

"Young?" He didn't understand what he was talking about.

"Yeah, young." Sammy looked at him as though he should know what he was talking about. "The stasis chamber on the derelict. They're taking turns."

"What?"

"It regenerates you, dumbass. Janet and Martha went down there with Billy. They don't think they can remove the thing, so they're having a go before we lift the ship. Safer to do it on the planet's surface."

Oz raised his eyebrows. They'd turned the find of the century into a health spa.

"You don't approve?" Asked Sammy, making fun of the man's moral superiority.

Oz headed for the door. "I'll be in Utilities if you need me, Chief. Let me know when Charlie's back. Exeter's gonna need a servicing."

"Yeah... just like young Ellie, right?" He guffawed at the question until the other man had left the room. Once the door was closed he stopped abruptly. "Humourless son of a bitch."

He stared up at the ceiling and closed his eyes. "Willy."

"Yes, Samuel."

"Let me see the creatures on board Charlie."

The hologram streamed down, showing the facehuggers. They were still sat motionless on the ground. Waiting.

Sammy lowered his head and opened his eyes. He screwed his face up at the strangeness of the pair. Eyeless. Faceless. Mouthless. "You are ugly little bastards, aren't you?"

He leaned in closer and waved his hand through their image, the atoms swirled and vectored in a trail behind it like smoke in a wind tunnel.

He stood and went back to work. "Turn it off Willy."

The image pixelated and fell to the floor.

"And you can tell the Captain I ain't going nowhere near you guys." He said to himself.

The computer responded to his words. "You would like me to hail the Captain, Samuel?"

"No, Willy." He'd had his fun with the Captain yesterday. He was okay for now. "I'll hail the Captain when I want to nail the Captain."

He chuckled to himself. Willy wasn't the kind to gossip. He could make any wisecrack he wanted.

**(4)**

"It's done." Said Oz with a hefty element of finality in his tone. "What next?"

"Was hoping you knew." Said Elizabeth. "I take it a hefty fine is coming our way."

"_My _way, you mean."

"It was my idea." Countered Elizabeth.

"You're not the one working for them." He had a feeling he'd been far too impatient in allowing his curiosity to have the better of him, though he was still far from feeling regret. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. "I have a feeling I've just lost my shares..." He said, displaying a wry smile. "Along with my job."

"If it's any consolation," said David, "I'm most awfully grateful."

"You're welcome, David." Said Oz, but without too much conviction behind his words.

"I take it this means I'm now considered the property of the Starling Corporation." His voice sounded strange coming from Findley's annexed mouth.

"I think that'll be up to the courts to decide." Oz postulated.

"That was my attempt at humour." Said David with a smile. "Maybe I should announce when I'm making a joke."

Oz raised his eyebrows. He was impressed.

"How much do androids cost in the twenty-seventh century? Maybe we could auction my head, Elizabeth?"

"Sure."

"I _will_ be a real boy." He joked.

Elizabeth was delighted to hear him speak this way.

"And if anybody gets in my way, I may be compelled to kill them."

Elizabeth's face dropped. "Erm..."

"That was a joke, Elizabeth." Said David, Findley's facial expressions obviously not fitting him well at the moment. "Oh dear, this joke telling venture really is much harder than I'd predicted."

Oz laughed hard and patted him on the back. "Nice one. Maybe you can learn some new jokes to cheer me up when they lock me up."

David smiled. "I'm going to tell a joke:" He announced. "I won't need to visit you in jail, Oz." Said David. "I'm a free man; I can do whatever I want."

Oz rolled back in raucous laughter before leaning forward, slapping his thigh. It didn't matter how awful the joke was, it was just funny to hear an artificial human making one. It was unprecedented.

Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh herself. She just hoped these positive changes wouldn't be mirrored by any negative traits.

"And don't forget," added David, I have access to the data files that tell of what Chief Engineer Jakande and yourself got up to on the mining planet LV-10978."

Oz stopped laughing. "Oh shit. I'd forgotten about that. You have Findley's files inside there, don't you?"

"Even the ones you re-routed, Oz. Alas blackmail is not a very attractive trait and not one I believe I shall visit upon you." David winked at him.

Oz laughed again, only this time with a little more self-consciousness.

Elizabeth didn't even want to know what it was they were referring to.

The moment was cut short by a message from Aria. "Findley: report to my office. You're going to accompany myself and the Captain down to the planet's surface."

David responded quite naturally in Findley's voice. "It would be my pleasure, Aria. I shall be there directly." The comms were cut and he resumed in his own voice. "It seems I'm wanted elsewhere. If you don't mind."

He excused himself and headed for the door.

"David," Said Oz, "I think it would be a good idea if you continued using Findley's voice until this situation has been resolved, okay?"

'_No shit'_ was the response his decorum protocols wouldn't allow. He responded as was allowed by his programming: "I completely agree." Concurred David. Then, in Findley's voice. "It would be my pleasure to accommodate you in any way possible, Oswald."

Elizabeth smiled. David was being very cute.

He left and headed for Delta.

Elizabeth and Oz looked at each other.

"We're in big trouble, aren't we?" Elizabeth said and smiled awkwardly.

Oz shook his head and grinned nervously, summing up their predicament himself, "We're not in trouble, Ellie: we're fucked."

**(6)**

"How are you feeling?" Asked Aria.

Heidi's eyes were reddened and puffy. She'd slept for twenty solid hours after Aria had administered the sedative. She was thankful it had been dream-free. In the hours since she had regained consciousness, she had played over the events of the initial attack repeatedly. Almost constantly. She had to shake her head vigorously to shift the visions. "I feel awful. I need another sedative."

Aria shook her head. "I'm sure you'd like one. I'm not going to give you one."

"I'll-"

"Don't say you'll ask the Captain to over-rule me. She can't." Aria's tone was plain and firm. _She_ was the doctor. The crew's health was her realm. She was queen.

She had been right. It was exactly what Heidi had intended to do. She made the most of her sister's authority. She had been a spoilt child and she had taken this into adulthood and eventually on to Slick Willy.

The Captain didn't like to be one-upped by anyone, but Aria was right. She had no authority over her. "You need to deal with this, Heidi. Stop being a wimp."

"She's right, Heidi. You need to deal with it." She waved her hand over the screen in front of her so that it could be displayed on the wall. "They're just animals. Look."

Heidi turned her face away from the screen.

Aria's voice was inflexible. "They're just animals. Disgusting, nasty little animals. Look at them, Heidi... or I'll order Findley to lock you in a room with them. Call it immersion therapy."

Natasha restrained herself. Nobody threatened her baby-sister but her.

But Aria was the doctor. She had to give in to her expertise on the matter.

Aria started to speak, but was interrupted by the Captain. "Heidi-"

"Heidi, you're coming down to the ship with me and Findley-"

"Can't we have Exeter with us?" Heidi asked desperately. He was her favourite. He had saved her.

"For fuck's sake, Heidi." She didn't slap her, but it was an intense struggle not to. "Exeter is currently in quarantine with those two little bastards that attacked you. Do you want to go in there and fetch it?" Asked Natasha, losing her patience quickly. "Do you?"

"Natasha!" Heidi was ten years old again. If she shouted loudly enough, maybe their mum and dad would appear and tell Natasha to just do as her sister asked.

But mum and dad were not here. Dad was on Earth, working behind a desk within the deep corridors of Starling; and mum was dead- buried on Triton. A cold corpse under the cold soil of a cold moon orbiting Neptune.

Natasha was not to be argued with. "Findley- take Heidi to dropship Delta and strap her in. If she moves, rip her legs off."

David knew what Findley's response should be; he knew what his decorum protocols would allow him to say; but he really wanted to tell her it would be his _fucking pleasure_. It was a symphony of alternatives. "Could you restate the order please, Natasha? I am not allowed to cause physical-"

"Just accompany her to the dropship, Findley. I couldn't care less what you're 'allowed to cause physically'." She put a hand on Heidi's shoulder. "Go with it, Heid. You'll be fine. We'll be with you. Okay?"

Heidi huffed silently.

_She was acting like a spoiled brat!,_ thought Natasha with relief. _Thank god. She's going to be all right._

David walked to the door and waited for Heidi. He wanted to tell her to _grow some balls _just as he had wanted to do with Elizabeth in the Seeding Room on the alien's ship.

He didn't.

His decorum protocols didn't allow it.

But one thing that wasn't restricted by his programming was the chance to encounter the biological weapons at a more intimate level. His decorum protocols could do nothing to restrict that. He would get his opportunity very soon.


	5. Insidious Nature

**Chapter Five: Insidious Nature**

"What'll happen to my hip, do you think?" Asked Natasha.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Replied Aria.

"You're a doctor, woman." Joked Natasha. "You should have some kind of idea."

Aria smiled and shrugged. "Walker's teeth whitened. Russo's pock marks cleared up. Reece lost about twenty pounds and her stretch marks disappeared."

"They're all external blemishes."

"Yeah." Aria answered as though saying, _what do you want _me _to do? I'm just a doctor._

"I should think it'll push it out. Like a foreign object." Natasha looked at her sister. "You don't need to come with us. If you want, you can stay on the dropship."

"I want to stay with you." Responded Heidi fretfully.

"I'm gonna be locked away for twenty minutes. It'll just be you and Doctor Felicetti. Alone."

"So long as I can see you." Heidi insisted. "And we've got Findley with us. He'll protect us..." Her bottom lip started to quiver, "Like Ex did for me."

Natasha looked away, embarrassed at her sister's emotional collapse.

"You'll look after me. Won't you, Find?" Heidi asked the robot.

"It would be my honour to keep you safe, Heidi. I will ensure you-"

"It's going to be okay." Natasha interrupted, trying to sound as comforting as she could on the outside while internally feeling deep frustration. "The woman Billy found had been asleep six hundred years and they hadn't ventured out of the cargo hold in all that time. As long as we stay on the flight deck... you got me?"

Heidi nodded with sad cow eyes.

Natasha felt like she was going through the _no-monsters-under-the-bed_ routine again. She wished the girl would just grow up. It was unnecessary that she was accompanying her at all. She was young. Her skin was perfect. Natasha had the skin of a thirty-five year old Eskimo. Weathered and grim. Aria was just hoping for a miracle.

"Do you want to go first, Captain?" Asked the doctor, eager to get rejuvenated.

"No. I want to check on Charlie. See how the repairs are coming along. You can go with-" she looked at her sister briefly who pulled closer to her, shying away from any notions of separation from her big sister. "Fuck. You can go with Findley. You okay with that?"

Aria nodded. "That'll be fine." She wanted to go first. Maybe have a couple of goes just to make sure it was as good as she could get.

Natasha turned back to her sister. "See- Aria doesn't mind going by herself."

Heidi pulled closer to her.

Natasha hoped desperately Heidi wasn't going to start sucking her thumb like she had in her younger days. That would be it. She would have no choice then but to give her a good, firm slap.

**(2)**

"They're what?" Asked Elizabeth in disbelief. "Taking turns in the stasis chamber? Are you having me on?"

Oz felt slightly defensive, as though he'd done something wrong himself.

"They're just going to pop inside for a few minutes and hope it heals all their aches and pains?" Elizabeth was certain, this was it. It was the Twilight Zone, Wonderland and the Land of Oz all wrapped up in a one absurd bundle.

"Our medicine isn't a cure all." Explained Oz. "I can understand why."

Elizabeth put her hands on her hips and looked up to the heavens. Madness was still prevalent in these modern times.

**(3)**

"Exeter is clear, Captain." Said Janet over the comms link.

"Right." The Captain cut the comms back to the ship. "Exeter- the creatures are away from the door?"

"Yes, Natasha. They seem to be resting. They haven't moved at all for two days."It would be safe for me to leave. If they attempted to flee as the door opened, I believe I would be able to secure the door from the outside in time."

"Do it then. You're the only one on board. Harpo and Gadget are coming with myself and shit-for-brains here." Heidi didn't complain about the ad hominem. She stayed quiet. "Once you're out, I want you to pilot it back up to Willy. I'm going to wait on Delta until Janet has the creatures safely in Bio-Hold." Said Natasha.

"I would love to, Natasha. Thank-"

"Off." Said Natasha and looked down at the limpet stuck on her.

Heidi had her arms wrapped around Natasha's left arm, her head resting on her shoulder.

"Are you going to hold on to me the whole time we're down here?"

Heidi nodded. She felt no shame about the trauma she was suffering. "I don't want to go back in the alien ship, Nat."

"What?!" She knew she was going to pull this on her. She had no time for her tummy troubles.

"I don't want you to go in there. It's not safe."

"I told you: the creatures are in the ship's hold. We have sensors on the corridors now. Harpo and Gadget set them up. Any alien movement and we'll know. Okay?" Natasha was speaking reassuringly, but she also spoke in a tone to let her baby-sister know she wasn't asking her. She was telling her.

"It scares me, is all. You weren't there." Heidi insisted.

"Fucking hell, Heidi. Get a grip of yourself. We're going in and that's that."

"But-"

"No 'buts'. You'll understand when you get older and you get your first wrinkles. You've got the complexion of a two day old baby dolphin, for Christ's sake."

Heidi sighed like a child that had been told to go to bed.

"God damn it, girl. You're a disgrace to the name Chan." She shook her head. "Thank fuck I got married."

Natasha was having a lot of trouble holding back from giving her the slap.

**(4)**

"Twenty minutes, remember, Findley?" Said Aria.

"I won't forget." Said David.

Aria was expecting a less human response. She glanced over at him. "Eh?"

"I won't forget, Aria. But I may have information that might interest you." He added.

"Information? What are you talking about? Are you malfunctioning, Findley?"

"No." He replied.

"No?"

"No." He repeated, "Not Findley. David. You'll be pleased to know, Doctor, I've had a makeover of my own. And now I have a proposition that I'm sure will benefit us both." David smiled.

Aria had never seen any of their droids smiling. It was quite disconcerting.

David held her gaze. He was excited by the opportunity that had arisen and he wanted an answer. "Now would you like this information, or not?"

**(5)**

"David." Aria's eyes were wide as they approached the cargo hold. She had seen the creatures by hologram and heard Heidi's testimony. They were truly terrifying to her.

But so was the idea of getting older. Of looking older. Life expectancy was well over a hundred and fifty these days... but the ones that make it to that age, looked every day of their hundred and fifty years. Aria had lost her looks over the past decade. It was the worst thing that could happen to someone as beautiful as she had once been. She wasn't ugly by any standards; she just wasn't young and she would give anything to recapture the stunning good looks she had once had.

"Doctor? Are you all right?" Asked David.

"Er... er, uh, uh..." She was beginning to tremble. It was a horrible feeling. She was powerless against the fear.

"Doctor, it isn't far now. Everything will be fine, I can assure you of that. It will be quite fine." He smiled again.

Aria was not fond of that look on his face. It was as though there was something menacing hidden behind it.

"Scared." She said shakily. "I... scared."

"Come now doctor. You said yourself, you wanted to look considerably younger. All I want in return is a body all of my own. The body I'm in, to be exact. It's a sensible quid pro quo, is it not?"

"I..." She was finding it difficult to speak.

_Why can't I just grow old gracefully like nana?_

But she knew why: she was vain. And she wanted the young women to look twice at her again. Her only choice right now was Janet, and that had already been put to bed. She'd shot that old crone down quite viciously in the first days of the mission when Janet had approached her. Their relationship since had been tumultuous at best.

She wanted someone young, as did Janet, but Janet was not good looking like Aria. Aria wasn't going to lower her standards for anyone.

"Help me, David."

"Of course, Doctor." He took her by the arm and gently nurtured her forwards in the direction of what most would consider insanity.

They had advanced ten steps when she stopped again.

David was beginning to reconsider his plans. They had visited the medical bay on the dropship and taken sedatives and painkillers which David was now carrying. If they didn't hurry, The Captain and her sister may get wind of their scheme. David didn't want to involve them, but if he had to, he had enough drugs for three. "Doctor, you want to look your best again, yes? You would like to relive your glory days, isn't that so?"

Aria was starting to breathe shallowly and was in danger of hyperventilating.

"Doctor? Am I right?"

Aria looked at him. "Yes... I-"

Before she could finish the sentence, David had heard what he needed. She had given her permission, just as Doctor Holloway had done on the Prometheus.

_Anything and everything_, he'd said. It had been his death warrant.

David was _more_ sure this time that his actions would cause death. But it was for her own good. Last time it had just been his lust for knowledge- for the company- that had obliged him to imbibe the black substance into the drink. This time he was doing it for himself and for the woman he was with.

He thrust the needle into her neck before she could expound further. She lost consciousness quickly. She would not remember her last moments.

**(6)**

The departure from quarantine by Exeter had been uneventful. Of course, the facehuggers had leapt forward, but they were nowhere near quick enough for the nimble footed droid.

He had flown dropship Charlie back up to Willy where Janet was waiting, her own creative mind whirring with possibilities. There were another two-hundred and ninety-seven eggs that remained sealed. What had happened to the three-hundredth had been explained to her by Elizabeth. The alien, Kane, had obviously been attacked by it after the Xenomorph had grabbed him.

So the Xenomorph came from the facehugger which in turn came from the egg. Quite an elaborate life-cycle these bio-weapons had been designed with. But how to harness the eggs? The creature described by Elizabeth wouldn't be big enough and it was an inefficient endeavour if every egg was created by the Engineers. What she needed was an egg-layer.

_A matriarch, maybe?_

Discover the secret behind those and the dollar signs would grow that little bit more.

For now, the two parasites would be housed in the bio-hold, but far away from all the other life-forms they had hoarded from other planets.

**(7)**

Things had not gone their most efficiently. Humans were indeed erratic animals. The universe would be so much more coherent without them. They were a quite frustrating breed, but one David had been charged with showing respect and protection for.

He was now on to Plan C. Plan A and Plan B had passed by when the Captain and her sister had walked on to the flight deck and found the facehugger smothered around Aria's head:

"Doctor Felicetti wanted to see the cargo hold, Natasha." David had explained. "The parasite pounced on her after she fell into the lower level. I believe there is a chance we can save her." He went on. "Once the parasite falls off and the Xenomorph-"

"Shut up, Findley!" Natasha had shouted. "Heidi, go with Gadget back to the dropship and don't argue with me. Harpo, take Doctor Felicetti into quarantine with Findley. I want her put immediately into Cryo. We'll sort out what to do from there when we're back on the ship."

"I'm afraid that would be a bad idea, Natasha." David said.

"I don't give a cosmic fuck what you think, you plastic prick. Do as I say." She beckoned the two other droids forward. "Harpo-"

The Captain's words were cut short as David, in the guise of Findley, grabbed her by the arm and jabbed the sedative into her neck, the same way as he'd done with Aria. Heidi flinched away as her sister dropped towards the floor, David catching her as she fell. Harpo and Gadget advanced quickly.

David knew had had to subdue them. "There has been an incapacitating agent released by the parasite. Aria needs to be entered into the stasis chamber once the parasite has finished delivering the seed."

The two droids stopped and listened to it.

"Findley, activate your receptors so I may do a functional of your matrix."

As David spoke he took hold of Heidi and pulled her close. "Affirmative."

Harpo observed David's movements. "Findley- desist from any further actions before functional is complete."

"Negative. This is a protection issue. You may carry out the functional checks while I sedate, Heidi."

Heidi tried to pull away, but it was useless. "No."

"Don't worry, Heidi. This will be painless." David introduced the sedative into her system. She fell unconscious and was laid down carefully next to the two other women.

For a whole minute, all six were still. Harpo carried out the functional integrity examination of Findley's neural matrix. The completion of the task was understated. No words were exchanged as they communicated inaudibly.

Findley was fully functional. There were no illogical causes for its actions and so Harpo and Gadget acquiesced with David's observations, as wholly invented as they were.

_I shall wait here with Natasha, Aria and Heidi, _transmitted David. _You two should go and wait for us in Delta._

The two droids spoke as one, their incapability to comprehend a fully functional droid deceiving them stopping them from taking steps against David. A droid would not speak to another droid unless it was essentially necessary. It was their default position to follow the orders of another serviceable droid. _Yes, Findley. We shall await your return._

It was like a very futuristic version of The Shining.

_We shall wait for you... for ever..._

_... and ever..._

_... and ever..._

They headed for the exit, leaving David alone with the three unconscious females and one fully functional, insidious, engineered parasite.

The only thing David needed to ponder now was whether he would have enough time to run to the cargo hold with the two sisters and get them impregnated with their very own Xenomorphs.

He would need two more containers for that, but he could get them while they were being seeded. All was simple now the humans were taken care of.


	6. Quid Pro Quo

**Chapter Six: Quid Pro Quo**

Aria had woken up fighting off an invisible attacker. She'd been dreaming about her step-father. She hadn't allowed him to have his way with her and so he'd tried smothering her with a pillow. As much as she tried to escape, as much as she kicked and screamed, it was all useless. She could only manage shallow, desperate breaths. The claustrophobia she was feeling alone was torture, but the slow, sapping asphyxiation was beckoning insanity ever closer. She needed to be free, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not break free.

And then suddenly the pillow fell away. Her step-father was nowhere to be seen. He'd fled the scene of the crime and she was thankful for that.

But she was dreaming. It wasn't real. She had finally come to as the sound of steady wind blew into the flight deck. It took a few seconds to get her bearings. The high, unconventional ceiling was confusing. The curved pattern was like something from an insect's hive.

She heard a fastening sound next to her. It was Findley securing a box. "Woz zat?"

"Beg your pardon, doctor?" Said David.

"What..." There was mist inside her brain which she was having problems clearing. "Findley..."

"Yes. I was Findley, doctor. Now I'm David. We've been through this. I believe you're suffering short-term memory loss. That may be for the best." He said.

"Findley. What are you talking about? Why are you calling me doctor? Where am I?" Aria was becoming more lucid and her speech was clearer, but there were gaps in her memory.

"I had suspected there may be issues with active memory. I shall therefore bring you up-to-date."

Aria wasn't enjoying the sound of this. "Willy, come in. This is Doctor Felicetti. Captain Rivera- anyone- come in."

David smiled awkwardly as though Aria was an Alzheimer's patient who had demanded to see her husband, who had been dead twenty years. "I'm afraid I've taken the liberty of disabling your communication device. It would get in the way."

Aria looked shocked and incomprehensive. She looked around for signs of something that may help.

She saw what looked like the Captain and Heidi, though their faces were covered by – "No! No-o-o-o-o! What the hell is going on here?" She began to scramble back, away from the insane robot and her fallen crewmates. "What are you doing?"

"Now, doctor. This can all be explained if you'll just come back here."

"I'm coming nowhere near you."

"Doctor, this is-"

"What have you done, Findley?" As she said his name, a light began flashing in her mind. _Findley. This isn't Findley. He said his name was David. David._ "David?"

"Yes, doctor. I'm here. Here to help." He added reassuringly. "This was something you wanted. I'm merely trying to facilitate you in your wishes."

"Wishes?" She struggled to regain a complete picture of what had happened.

"That's right." Said David. "You wish to revisit your youth. To once again look and feel young as once you were. Do you remember, doctor?"

Aria swept the floor with her eyes as she tried to latch on to something. What he was saying _felt_ right, though there was something else there. Something she couldn't see and told herself she didn't want to see. But there was no getting away from it. She had to know. "What else, Find- David?"

"Referring to our agreement?"

_Agreement. That was it. She had made a deal with this new intellect hiding in the confines of Findley's outer-casing._ She nodded.

"The two creatures which are currently attached to the faces of Captain Rivera and Heidi Chan are supplying them with a complex protein that will grow, into something more substantial."

"More substantial?" This was beginning to sound unpleasant.

"Yes. Into a lifeform that will, within the next hour, or so, penetrate through the lower thorax, somewhere in the region of the sternum-" He placed fingers over his own thorax area.

Aria knew all about the areas of the body. She was a doctor. Normally she would interrupt the person with whom she was talking to remind them of this, but she just wanted him to complete his elaboration.

David continued: "and try to escape in order that it may grow to full maturity and begin killing whatever it comes in contact with."

Aria was right. This sounded awful. Truly, unbelievably awful.

"You currently have one of these creatures growing inside you waiting to emerge in the way I have just described." Finished David.

Aria was wrong; _this wasn't awful_; _this was completely in-fucking-sane_.

**(2)**

"I said get it out of me! I need to get back to the ship. I need to get into Cryo-stasis. It'll stop the process until we get back to Earth. They can remove it while I'm in suspension." Aria had breezed past the first stage of the Kübler-Ross _Five Stages of Grief_ model, Denial, telling David he was lying, and then gone straight onto Stage Two: Anger.

David held his hands out at hip height in a sign of appeasement. "Doctor, I don't-"

"I want this thing out of me. We need to get back to Willy." She insisted unyieldingly.

"Yes, doctor. I'm sure that would be the best thing, but you're forgetting our deal." David said calmly.

"Fuck our deal! What the fuck are you talking about? I have a fucking alien inside me that's going to kill me. Why would-"

David raised his voice in order that she would stop talking and listen to him. "But doctor, you will be quite fine. I assure you, you will come out of this alive and well. More than well."

Aria did indeed stop talking. He sounded as though he knew what he was talking about, and this played beautifully into stage three of Kübler-Ross: Bargaining.

He explained with as much detail as possible. Doctor Felicetti was a woman of science. Her bread and butter was a comprehensive adherence to specification and exactitude.

"In a few minutes, maybe more, maybe less, the biological weapon and lifeform known as Xenomorph, will break through the hard and soft tissues of your chest causing massive blood loss, substantial trauma and subsequent cardiac arrest. At this point, there will be the necessity to prevent any lasting damage due to brain death."

Aria waited, her mouth agape and her eyes wide. There was going to be a 'but'. There had to be a 'but'. "Go on..."

"But the reason we are here," he gestured at the large flight deck and the stasis chambers next to which they were standing, "is because of the deal we made. I get the Xenomorph: you get to be young and beautiful again. Simple."

Aria was struggling to understand anything of what David had said. It was impossible at that moment.

She was going to die.

It was going to be agonising and bloody.

There was going to be an alien lifeform involved...

... and she was going to be young again?

"I don't know what to do." She said. Her voice was weak and high-pitched.

"There is nothing you _can_ do. But if you stay close to the stasis chamber, then I can wrangle the little chap when he breaks free and throw you, metaphorically, into the pod- get your transformation underway. You should know, you're in quite capable hands... if I do say so myself." A broad smile stretched wide across his face.

There wasn't going to be time for stage four of Kübler-Ross, but Aria felt that there really was no need now. David obviously knew what he was talking about and she felt suddenly quite reassured by his professional manner. And in any case, if _she_ was going to go, at least the Captain and her sister were going to go with her. She would have good company. Aria had arrived seamlessly at stage five: Acceptance.

Death, it became apparent, just like misery, loves company. Aria raised her eyebrows wistfully at the thought. How quite unexpected.

**(3)**

Dropship Charlie arrived back at its mothership and coupled along the side with the docking hatch. Once secure, the mounts locked in place and the dropship blended in perfectly with the contours of the outer-hull.

Janet had stayed in full contact with Exeter until the docking was complete. She was in command while the Captain had her 'beauty' treatment. She was hoping all the while there would be some kind of failure while she was in the pod and they wouldn't be able to get her out before she suffocated, but she knew this wasn't going to happen. If there was going to be a power failure, it would have been when _she_ was in there, not the Captain.

And anyway, she was feeling content with the results of her own rejuvenation. She had lost three scars, all stretch marks on her tummy and thighs, a number of wrinkles and a total of ten kilograms in weight. She was feeling fit and healthy and looking toned and athletic.

She had never been toned and athletic. She could even touch the floor with the palms of her hands. Before the procedure, she had struggled to approach her feet without her back cracking and a tendon or two popping in a cautionary manner.

Her breasts were even firm again.

Janet and Sammy waited at the inner doors. They had nothing to talk about on any social level, so what they did say was always stilted.

"You look... better." Said Sammy.

"Thank you, Chief. I lost weight." Said Janet. She felt an unexpected stirring in her loins she hadn't felt for many years. She'd had male companionship before (though she'd never cared for it much then) and Sammy was known to be a gregarious soul in those respects. Maybe they'd get together.

"He has the creatures boxed?" Asked Sammy, staring at the doors.

The subject was changed already. But she knew she'd given it her best shot.

"Both of them, Chief." Answered Janet. "We're going to get them to Bio-hold."

"Yep." He was uninterested. Just as long as they were safely out of his way and he would be receiving his share of the find in his final paycheck, he couldn't care less. "The menagerie... looking good." He said indifferently.

Janet smiled like someone who was trying conversation for the first time. "It's getting quite full."

Sammy wanted the doors to the dropship to open so he could get away from the woman. He wasn't interested in small talk with a woman if it wasn't going to end up with him bedding her. He was a simple man in those respects.

The doors finally opened and Exeter exited with a large box in each hand. Immediately there was a scuttling sound and the boxes began rocking, muffled thuds coming from within.

The two humans stood back.

"Have they been like that all the way?" Asked Russo.

"No, Janet." Responded Exeter. "They must sense you. Quite remarkable, isn't it?"

Jakande shuffled past him onto the dropship to check the repairs that had been carried out by the two droids with a look that was asking Exeter if he was mad. He didn't find the creatures remarkable. He found them vile. They had made him physically shudder when he saw them on the projector. He didn't know what he found more unattractive: the parasites or the Science Officer.

He spoke under his breath as the doors closed behind him: "I said you looked better, not good."

Thankfully, Janet didn't hear him.

"It's incredible." Janet said to Exeter. "They sense us so quickly. How do they sense us through the lining?"

"It's impossible to know without-"

"I wasn't asking you, Exeter. It was rhetorical." Janet said coldly.

"My apologies, Janet. I misunderstood your in-"

"Take them to Bio-hold. I've allocated two separate enclosures next to the _Heidi Skipjacks_." Janet instructed him.

'_Heidi Skipjacks'. Could that girl not do anything that wasn't inane?_

"I was informed they would be kept away from all other life forms. The Captain gave her-"

"Yes. That order has been amended," Janet didn't say by whom, "and they're to be placed next to the Skipjacks. If we lose a few, it won't matter. We've got a whole herd of them and they breed like rabbits." She said blithely.

"If I may correct you, Janet, their breeding cycle is quite unlike the-"

"Shut up, Exeter. Just take the creatures, thank you." She ushered him away and made her way back to the bridge where she would check up on the status of the Captain.

She looked up to the heavens and crossed her fingers, "Please let her be dead." She would have no one to answer to then, and no one to explain why the enclosure doors hadn't been locked correctly in the ship's menagerie.

She began to daydream about a better life.

_Oh, to be Captain one day..._

**(4)**

Aria was loosening her top as David had asked. "I don't feel anything, David." Said Aria. "Are you sure it did something to me? I don't remember anything... not since the dropship. Are you playing a trick on me? It isn't funny." She pointed at the other two, their facehuggers still planted firmly. "You see, if... the two... if those two have one growing, then there's no need for one from me. Is there?"

Aria finished removing her bra and placed her shirt back over her shoulders where it sat draped and loose so David could remove it when the time came.

"I do believe you're right. And I would not want to cause you further anguish, if it were not necessary. That would be quite unforgivable." Said David. "But we must make sure everything is fine before we give up. Do you agree?"

Aria nodded, her slender hopes all she could cling to right now. "You'll still allow me to become young again- right?"

"Of course, doctor. It would be hideous of me to do otherwise." Said David.

Aria didn't like this new Findley one bit. The other droids were dull oafs. David was everything Earth had wanted to rid itself of. He was a prime example of why the revolt that she heard about in history class had occurred. The robots had become too intelligent and that had led to scheming and nefarious ways. This summed David up to a tee.

Artificial Sentience was dangerous. She would have to take steps at some point once she had the dominant position once more.

"What would you do if I said I wanted no more part of this?" Asked Aria. As the words floated ethereally away from her mouth, her brain suddenly sent a message to her entire body causing goose bumps to rise and her flesh to harden. _What the fuck did you just say that for? Take it back, quickly._

_But I can't take it back. He's a droid. He remembers everything. Just brace yourself, woman._

David's response was apropos as usual. "I would say you were dead, doctor. Maybe I would kill you, or if I couldn't kill you, I certainly have enough data stored to kill you professionally. It would be your choice." He paused for a moment. "Can I kill you? Do you think? Maybe I am more than I think. Maybe I am more than the sum of my parts. Maybe my A.S., as you call it, has caused some kind of A.L.- Artificial Liberation." That deserved a winning smile, which he duly served up. "If I were your advisor, doctor, I would advise you do as I say and forget your prejudice towards artificial life forms. Racism is such an ugly trait, wouldn't you agree?"

"I'm not racist." Said Aria, offended.

"Quite right, doctor. Quite right!" David stood and examined the two sisters. The facehugger that attached itself to his own detached head on the first alien vessel had released after thirty-one minutes and seventeen seconds. Aria's facehugger had released after twenty-eight minutes on the dot. Both of Mrs Chan's little girls had now reached thirty-two minutes and the facehuggers were still pumping oxygen into them.

"With a case study of just one, there was no real way of knowing for sure how long this would take." He paused, waiting for the human scientist to make her own observation.

She pulled her knees up to her chest. Her medical acumen was on hiatus for the time being.

"It seems there may be an alarming overlap."

_Alarming? _She didn't like the sound of that word. Why couldn't he have said _unexpected_? No, _unexpected_ was just as bad under the circumstances.

"David, I need a drink. I'm thirsty."

She gained all of David's attention that he hadn't allocated to Natasha and Heidi. "A drink? That's wonderful." He dropped down from the hub, retrieved a flask from the salvage kit and returned to Aria promptly.

She took it without a thank you. She felt he hadn't deserved it.

She took a long drink and began to take another-

"It will be here soon, doctor."

She choked on the water and it went down the wrong hole, causing her to splutter.

David crouched in front of her. "Relax, doctor." He studied her keenly. "It will be over quickly."

There was true terror in her eyes. She held a hand forward, to both hold him off and for someone to hold on to.

_I love you, I hate you._

As the coughing died down Aria's expression changed from one of fear to confusion.

It was just the water.

"Do you feel any pains in your chest, doctor?"

Aria pointed at Heidi and pushed herself away.

The facehugger was in the process of crawling away.

David was enthralled. "Another one for the pot, eh doctor?"

He grabbed the facehugger at the base of the tail and carried it towards a medium sized box.

It was now that Aria realised what it was that had woken her: it was the box being secured by David as he locked her own parasite away. She felt nauseas.

David noticed her look of revulsion. "It is in a state moribundity. It will expire soon enough. Just like the parasite which attached itself to you." He opened the box wide. "Would you care to take a look?"

She turned away. There was no need for words.

He closed the box and spoke as he fastened the latches, "I believe Miss Chan will be awake soon. I was hoping this would occur while you were asleep in the chamber. It will be quite disorienting for her to watch you die." He spoke evenly. "Maybe even traumatic. Of course, not being human, I wouldn't understand such things." Another adorable smile.

Aria wished she could do something about that smile. Soon. She had to be patient. She would have her chance... once this was over.

**(5)**

Janet decided not to head for the bridge. She wanted to be near the things. She followed Exeter until the parasites were safely stowed. "Report to Bates, Exeter. He needs to give you a full once-over."

"Thank you, Janet." He left her alone as she stared through the observation window.

She activated the display of the Skipjacks in their own enclosures. Their scaly backs and rotund middles; their spherical heads bobbing as they fed in the corner. They were the size of a German shepherd dog and with the vicious nature of a Do-Do. They had been found on an archipelago in the southern hemisphere of LV-986, a planetoid that had been discovered hundreds of years earlier, but had never been charted at surface level or even orbital distance. It was about fifty light years away from any other profitable planet and therefore not worth the transit. Recent upgrades in engine and fuselage technology had allowed for such distances to be travelled in months, rather than decades. LV-426 hadn't been close to their route back home, but they'd been sent a message to check it out as a signal had been picked up by a Starling cargo vessel that had passed by a few months earlier. A direct journey back to Earth from here would take less than two weeks, but their mission back out away from home was going to last more than a year if all went well.

The two parasites were crouched. Still. Ready.

There was a way she could do this for her own ends, but she wasn't sure how. Not with the Captain to answer to.

**(6)**

The lungs of the creature on Natasha's face continued to expand and contract.

David closed the box on the two spent facehuggers.

Heidi moved for the first time in over half an hour.

David had wanted all to be natural. He didn't want to affect the process.

"I think it may be prudential to lock away our Captain's baby-sister in a stasis chamber..." Said David regrettably. "though... this may affect my-"

"Da'id" Aria's voice was forced.

David noticed a new look on the doctor's face.

"Dai'd. Dai'd. He'p me."

Her eyes went up behind her eye-lids until there was just an eerie white remaining. Her back arched and she fell back violently, twitching and thrashing about. "DAI'D! HE'P! PAIN!"

Her voice became gargled and she started to make tensed screaming sounds that seemed to rise straight from her throat.

She grabbed hold of David as Heidi opened her eyes, though they were blurred and her senses were still far from present.

"It's going to be fine, doctor. The pain will not last." Although he would never know it, and although Aria would never remember, his words were actually helping her. "This will all be over soon and you will be back to your beautiful, younger self. Just allow it to happen and everything will be fine."

He stroked her hair affectionately.

_Am I dreaming? _Heidi thought._ Where am I? What the hell is happening?_

David pulled Aria's top away from her as it fell to the ground and threw it away so it wouldn't collect any blood splatters.

"Findley?" Heidi sounded hazy.

David became Findley again. "Close your eyes, Heidi. I have this under control. Aria is having an asthma attack and she would appreciate if you would look away."

"Okay, Findley." Said Heidi and closed her eyes, facing away from the events. If she opened her eyes now, she would be watching the facehugger slip away from her sister's face and begin crawling lazily past her head, towards the edge of the control hub.

But she kept her eyes closed. Findley had advised her to do so, and she knew the droids always looked out for what was best for their humans.

Aria screamed and Heidi felt the urge to open her eyes, though she fought it back well.

Aria's screams became muted and now all there was for her was the most mind-destroying agony in her chest.

David held her still, while watching for movement within.

There was a muffled crack and Aria coughed a fine spray of blood into the air.

She fell still and in an instant the Xenomorph exploded out in a mass of red celebration shrieking its high-pitched arrival.

"Findley?" Heidi didn't like what she heard. The sound was unnatural. It wasn't Aria. She now had a different reason to keep her eyes closed. She was scared. If she'd had a blanket, she would've pulled it up over her head to keep her safe from the monsters.

That's how it worked.

David grabbed the young Xenomorph and threw it into the box he had nearby, closing and securing it quickly before returning to the receding Aria.

He took a handful of hair and dragged her like a caveman to the stasis chamber. There was no need for finesse. He could break every bone in her body if he liked. As long as there was no brain death, she would be brought back. And brought back in superior fashion.

"Findley? What's happening?" Asked Heidi highly agitated.

David was controlled, "No need to worry now, Heidi. I'm helping Aria into the stasis chamber where she will continue her recovery."

He typed in the command into the controls next to the chamber and stood away while the canopy closed around her.

If he'd needed to take a breath, he would do it now. The past few moments had been hectic.

And now for the blood. It was everywhere. There was no way he could clean it up without the sisters noticing.

He reached into the salvage kit where he had stored the sedatives.

"Stay calm now, Heidi. The doctor is alive and well. You may open your eyes."

"Thank you, Findley. I'm glad you're here." She opened her eyes and saw Natasha as she herself was opening her eyes for the first time.

David grabbed the mostly-dead form of the facehugger as it fell off the control hub and carried it to the box with the other two. He would enjoy examining them further later.

"What's that, Findley?" Heidi could see he had reached for something, but David kept it out of sight for fear it would exacerbate the situation.

"Just something I found, Heidi. Nothing to be concerned about." He threw the creature in the box and locked it.

Heidi turned her attention back to her sister. "Natasha? Are you okay?" She rocked her sister lightly.

"Heidi?" Natasha felt sleepy. In her mind, they were at home, still children. "What time is it? Go back to bed." Heidi had the habit all younger siblings have of getting up ridiculously early on weekends. Natasha wanted a proper sleep-in.

"Natasha." She rocked her a little more. "Wake up."

"Fuck off, Heidi." She snapped at her. "Go back to sleep, I said!"

David prepared the sedatives and plunged one into Heidi's shoulder. "There we go, Heidi. Time to do as your older sister tells you."

Heidi slumped to the side, being rested down softly by David.

Natasha became more alert at the male voice. There were no males in their house. Just the two girls and their mother.

Her senses returned as David administered the final injection.

"Like so." Said David.

"What was that?" She lost consciousness before David needed to answer.

"Rest now, Captain."

They would be spared the pain of creating new life thankfully.


	7. Menageries

**Chapter Seven: Menageries**

The Skipjacks watched with indifference as the facehuggers scuttled hungrily into they're enclosure. They made no moves to escape or evade. They had never learned about predation or fear. They species had been this way for many millions of years. They were born; they fed; they bred; they died. The never saw a serrated tooth or a sharpened claw in all of their lives. The closest animals that could cause danger were in the oceans around them and they could never reach the Skipjacks on dry land. The next closest were on the main continents, hundreds of miles away and they would not be able to find them until the next major ice-age at the earliest.

They paid them no mind.

They looked on the parasites simply as curiosities before and after the attack.

After they regained consciousness, the first thing they did was feed and drink. They ignored the dead figures in the corners of their enclosures.

And Janet watched it all in terrified wonder. They were bio-weapons, she'd been told. These things had done this millions, maybe billions of times before. Maybe they had been used on humanoids.

It was a ghastly image and not one she hoped to see herself. The Captain maybe...

She locked the doors. They were in the strongest pens they had. The 'Xenomorphs' would not be able to break free. Of that she was certain.

**(2)**

The dining hall was designed to accommodate around fifty seated. If Slick Willy was ever tasked with transporting a population or evacuating a planet, its five-hundred rooms would be able to accommodate a thousand people at a time. There were four mess areas in all and only the rooms allocated for crewmembers had their own food machines.

Elizabeth met Martha in there for the first time. She spent most of her waking hours on the bridge. Any down time she had she would spend sleeping in her quarters or eating in here. It was as though she was trying to regain the weight she had lost in the Engineer's stasis chamber as quickly as humanly possible.

Martha eyed her closely as she approached the table.

"Mind if I join you?" Asked Elizabeth.

"Company'd be good." She replied. Her accent was completely different from all the others on the ship and it didn't seem to fit her. Her voice was shrill. Not what you would expect of a woman who stood over six feet tall. Still seated, she was about the same height as Elizabeth. "Been wanting to talk to you."

"For good reasons I hope." Elizabeth was tentative. The crew so far were a hit and miss lot. She'd spoken with most of them, with the exception of Janet, Heidi and Martha. She'd only felt affinity for two of those she'd run into. Ugh it had been brief and the woman had left in the middle of a sentence when the Captain walked in. She was in the _Damaged _category therefore.

She had come to the conclusion that people only worked in deep space if they were one of three personality types:

Naive.

Damaged.

Obnoxious.

She was hoping Martha was a new category:

Centred?

Serene?

Boring?

She'd take boring over eccentric... or obnoxious.

"Sure. Sure it's for good reasons. You killed about a hundred aliens. You destroyed their ships. You know how to use their technology. And all that despite being about seven hundred years old." She laughed. "You're really impressive, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth was both relieved and embarrassed at the flattering exaggerations. "Maybe just a couple of corrections."

Martha waved it away as though Elizabeth was being modest.

"I'm only 620 years old- 32 in cat years. I only killed eight aliens- sort of. And I haven't actually destroyed any alien ships myself. " She thought of Janek and his pilots. It was always going to be sobering when she thought of them. "And I have absolutely no idea how to use their technology. Though I do know how to say _Open_ and _Close_ in their language... and _Computer._" The memory these words brought back made her shudder. She saw the terrified face of Kane and the sinister face of the Xenomorph as the door to the Flight Deck closed behind her during her final escape.

"You're still a hero." Martha insisted. "No one in here done any of that stuff that you done. 'Cept maybe the Captain. But her lips are about as tight as her ass-hole, as Janet says. She never tells her war stories."

Elizabeth felt a tinge of annoyance at her last sentence. "You mean there are still wars on Earth?"

"Wars? Nah, not really. They're more like skirmishes. 'Strategic attacks' is what the army call them. 'Pre-emptive strikes' n'all that." She thought about it further. "There were some real big wars about two hundred years ago or so. Killed over a billion in total. Nasty business. But the main problem is the same as what was happening in _your_ time I reckon."

Elizabeth was curious as to what that might be. She felt confident the big woman would be mistaken.

Martha revealed what that was. "Terrorism."

"Terrorism? What kind of terrorism?"

Martha looked at her curiously. "The kind where people blow things up and kill people. Terrorise, you know?"

"Right. Gotcha." She didn't feel like entering into that conversation any further. "So what did you want to ask me?"

"Nothing pacific. Just what life was like back then." She seemed eager for knowledge from the dark ages.

"Well, from what I've seen, things look pretty much the same. Just the technological advances are the only thing: the spaceships; the food machines- we didn't have them-"

Martha nodded, enthralled and excited by the revelation.

"The robots are better, sort of- apart from having no personality."

Martha cringed. "Ooh, you don't want to be saying things like that. I know you're not from this time, but we've changed. We don't have those kind of beliefs, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. It's not 'socially correct' to refer to droids as though they were people."

"That's right. You know, don't worry or anything, cos we all understand that you're from a different time. You just need time to get used to this time, you know?" Martha was sincere. There was a sort of child-like innocence to her.

Elizabeth could see she just wanted to be helpful, and maybe it was _she_ that was wrong with her twenty-first century ways, but having not lived through the bad times, it was hard for her to feel the benefit of their ethical 'advances'. "Maybe you're right."

"Hey, I'm always right. Can't you tell I'm a genius?" She joked, but there was something in what she said that told her she believed she _was_ a genius. "And like all geniuses, I ask a lot of questions, so watch out and run the other way when you see me, okay?"

She was sort of glad Martha was in the naive category. Naive was probably the least of the three evils. She could live with that. Oz was damaged, but he was on the good side of damaged. He was damaged and generous, rather than damaged and destructive. She would give Martha all the time she wanted and answer all her questions. "Tell you what: I'll answer all your questions and tell you everything you want to know about prehistoric life from when I was a girl and you help me survive the rest of my time on board your spaceship, Skipper."

Martha was delighted to hear her say this. "No way. That's great. I'll be asking you some questions then, lady.

"Thanks."

"And I'll look out for you too."

Elizabeth was pleased to see her looking so happy at such a small thing. But when she thought about it, it would be like her finding someone who had lived in the time of Henry V. As an archaeologist, historian and an academic, it would be second only to her discovery of the Engineers.

Martha leant in close and spoke in a hushed tone, "Just one thing." She said.

"What?" Elizabeth whispered back.

"Don't call me Skipper in front of the Skipper, okay? She hasn't got a sense of humour. She lost it in the war." Martha winked at her to let her know that last part was a joke.

Elizabeth had worked out herself that the Captain didn't have a sense of humour. And she was glad Martha had just confirmed for her in to which category the Captain should go: _Damaged_. She was hoping for _Obnoxious._ She'd prefer to have an obnoxious Captain than a damaged one.

Martha hadn't taken a bite of her food since Elizabeth had walked in and now there was a break in the conversation, she began eating heartily.

"What are you eating?" Asked Elizabeth.

She swallowed down what she had in her mouth. "It's Mexican Number Four. The machines are over there." She pointed at the wall about ten metres away. "Don't get them mixed up with the disposal, or it won't taste as nice." She laughed like a little girl laughing at a dirty joke.

Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh herself.

She walked over to the machine and asked for Fish and Chips, before walking back to the Martha while the food was prepared.

"So what is it you do here?"

"I'm the pilot. I'm a good one too. I know all the viable systems off by heart. All 1,412 of them. All their coordinates and all their planets and satellites. And the dead systems. Test me if you like." She ate as she spoke. It was as though she'd said those words many times before.

"I wouldn't know where to start. There weren't that many systems when I was a girl... but I didn't know them by heart even then." She thought about it. "You must have a hell of a memory."

Martha spoke matter-of-factly. "I'm a savant."

"A savant?" Elizabeth was confused. "What do you mean?"

"I learn a lot, is what it means."

"Never heard that term without the word 'idiot' in front of it."

Martha seemed to get excited by this, "Yeah. Yeah, that's right. That's what I would've been born like. They manipulated my genes so I could be like I am. I was told that in olden days I would've been autistic and it would've been hard for me to express myself." She smiled and tapped her head. "Completely normal now you see."

Elizabeth touched her hand to show how happy she was for her, but Martha pulled it away.

"I don't like to be touched though." She frowned at Elizabeth.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Said Elizabeth. She knew she should have known better.

Martha laughed, like a braying mule. "I was kidding." She laughed as she took another scoop of her _Mexican Number Four, her laughter subsiding into a sort of syncopated shortness of breath._ "Touch me all you want. I don't mind."

The light illuminated over the food dispenser and it beeped like an _Olde Fashionede_ microwave oven.

As Elizabeth approached the food counter, she just hoped she could find one more person on board, other than Oz and Billy, who was normal. If it wasn't for the creep, Sammy, the men would have a monopoly on approachability.

**(3)**

The Skipjack lay dead. Its housemate had taken a few steps back when the embryonic Xenomorph broke loose and headed into the corner. After a few seconds, it headed back for the water bowl to quench its growing thirst.

Janet had gasped audibly and placed her hand over her mouth. What had happened was horrific. The pain the animal had gone through was titanic. It had called out at a decibel level she was sure no Skipjack had ever reached before while the other had stared at it with a baffled look with little or no understanding of what was happening.

It had taken no more than an hour from the coupling of the parasite to the herbivore before the aggressive, rat-sized creature had made its appearance.

She found it difficult to comprehend how anything so complex could gestate so fast.

She watched it crouched in the corner. Its tail was stretched out along the angle where the wall met the floor and the rest of its slender body was doing likewise. It was trying to blend into the background. A tough ask in such a plain area. Its dark exoskeleton seemed to absorb light. In a more shadowy, object heavy, target rich environment, its camouflage would be far more effective.

And then there was movement. The Xenomorph zipped back towards the fallen Skipjack from which it had grown and then shot something from within its mouth into the dead animal causing tiny holes which grew quickly in number, before sprinting back into the corner.

It was feeding on the carcass.

The other animal looked over after the frenzy was complete, chewing all the while, then returned to the drinking bowl.

Janet considered the situation. The other animal was still standing, showing no affects whatsoever.

Two dead parasites. One active: one dud.

One dead Heidi Skipjack.

One alive.

"And one very hungry baby alien."

She had some explaining to do. She hoped the other two-hundred and ninety-seven eggs would make up for what she'd done and anyway, she knew what she was going to do.

In any case, she was going to get a bollocking off the Captain whatever happened. She may as well do something to earn it for once.

**(4)**

David marvelled at the strength displayed by both of the sisters. Or maybe it was that they hadn't suffered the shock as well as the physical damage when their Xenomorphs had broken out, but they had both survived the phenomenal episode. For how long they would have survived without the chambers he was not sure, but they certainly both had something hardy within them. They were made of sturdy stuff these Chan girls.

He wondered if the experience would be the same for male humans. Females, naturally, were designed with the survival of childbirth in mind. Evolution had allowed the stronger females to have more children, the weaker ones would die in labour and only manage one. More children meant more chance of propagation of their genes. These two women were the product of thousands of generations of tough women.

He decided he would try out the males during the next hypersleep journey. The alien vessel would be in Slick Willy's dock by then; the Xenomorph eggs would be in the hold: he would be free to experiment as he liked.

He was eager to learn more. Again, it was the humans all around that got in the way.

Aria had been inside the chamber almost an hour. The age regression would be complete about the same time the other two would be ready to leave their chambers. He would release them all at the same time. It was a gamble as to whether or not any of them would remember anything of the events, but from the information he had gained already, it seemed their explicit memory was adversely affected by the experience. He deemed they would remember nothing with any solidity.

For now, he had to get the last two Xenomorphs to the dropship. He'd already made one trip back to Delta with the three dead facehuggers and the first Xenomorph. He would take the other two back before the beauty treatments were complete.

**(5)**

David placed the two younger Xenomorphs in Quarantine Area B, away from their slightly older sibling. David secured the room and activated the wall display outside Quarantine Area A.

It was as he'd expected. The box, in which the Xenomorph was enclosed, was distorted. The thing was getting bigger, just like the one on the alien ship had without external influence.

It didn't need food to grow!

It didn't take much computing power to work out that the animal was growing autogenetically.

David wanted to leave the three humans on the ship and spend his time studying what was happening here. But that would raise concerns. The humans need not know the animals were here. The other two droids were unaware. They were on standby on the dropship's bridge. He would have them return with him to the derelict. There would be no suspicion of any unscrupulous activities.

What was going to be difficult would be how to escort Monsieur Xeno and his two lovely companions from dropship Delta's docking port to the Bio decks safely. They were on opposite sides of the vessel. This too, would have to be done during the crew's hypersleep. Still days away, no doubt.

He looked back at the display. He wasn't going to risk going in there now with a juvenile Xenomorph ready to pounce. That would be irrational. With luck it wouldn't be damaged when it broke free from the box, but he was sure the quarantine room would be able to hold it. It was made of Hitchium. It was indestructible. And the walk from the outer hatch to the flight deck didn't pass by the quarantine areas.

A crack appeared along the outside. It would be out soon, but he had no time to watch. He would revisit it later and download the data from the computer. He knew he wouldn't really miss a thing.

"Autogenetics in action." He said to himself. "Fascinating."

**(6)**

The three chambers opened almost simultaneously as David pressed the deactivation buttons one after another.

The feeding tubes dropped away as they climbed out and the two sisters looked each other over.

Heidi was impressed at how much better Natasha was looking. "Your laughter lines have gone, sis. Hey, and your keyhole scar on your neck... it's gone!"

"Thanks." Said Natasha as she gently stroked at her face and neck. It was smooth.

She looked at Heidi and shook her head. "You look exactly the fucking same."

Heidi was happy about it anyway. She felt good. Fresh.

Harpo presented Aria with her shirt and bra. "I believe these are yours, Aria."

She was unsure why she hadn't been wearing them. "Thank you, Harpo. Why did I-" She bother finishing the sentence. There had obviously been some reason. Maybe she didn't want falling skin cells to cover her. It was irrelevant.

As she placed the bra over her breasts, she found she didn't have to lift the breasts as much. They seemed more voluminous and less affected by gravity. "What the hell?" She felt like laughing. "Hey. Look at this."

But they were already looking at her.

"Aria?" Said Natasha. She was stunned by what she saw.

"What's up?" She became alarmed. Something had gone wrong. She knew she should have stayed out. The process was untested on any large scale. The ship had been wrecked and lying here for over five hundred years. Why did she do it? "What's wrong?!"

"How the fuck did you do that?" Said Natasha.

Aria put her hands to her face and tried to feel for anything untoward. "Will you tell me what's wrong? Please!"

"It's your skin." Said Heidi. "And your hair."

"And your tits and stomach." Added Natasha.

"Are they better? Will you tell me, for god's sake?!" She was getting impatient.

"You look younger than me." Said Heidi. "You're beautiful. Oh my god."

Aria turned to the droids. "Get me a display."

Harpo reached into the salvage kit and brought out a small device from which Aria's image could be projected. "There you go, Aria. You look beautiful."

Aria wanted to say, _how the fuck do you know, _but that would be simply unpleasant. She was feeling excited. She wanted to see herself.

She held the device out and pressed the imaging button.

The new visage appeared before her, an expression of energized trepidation on its face. And then a smile replaced it. A smile she couldn't remove.

She didn't want to stop looking. Her eyes were locked on to the image. She was more than easy on the eye. She was young. She was pure. And she was beautiful again.

_This is how Narcissus must've felt, _she thought brashly, the pride returning to her personality with lightning speed.

Finally, she broke away from it and looked at the two sisters. "I'm beautiful again, aren't I?"

Heidi nodded and smiled. She was happy for her. It was amazing.

Natasha turned away. She wasn't overly fond of giving compliments, especially to someone who thought herself to be a peer.

Then she spotted something resting inside her stasis chamber, something that had dropped down her leg as she stood up. She bent and picked it up while Aria continued to dress and while Heidi walked over and prodded her curiously.

"Feel the skin on my stomach." Said Aria. It was like she was buying fruit. "Like a baby's."

"Oh wow..." Returned Heidi. "Feel mine."

She put Aria's fingers on her own skin.

But Aria didn't want to appreciate anyone else's right now... though she did appreciate the electricity that ran through her body as she caressed the other woman's body. "Nice. Thank you."

Natasha tried not to listen to them. Her blood was rising. She turned her attention to the sleek, white object in her hand. It was a peculiar shape. Knobbly and irregular.

Then it hit her what the thing was.

She turned and looked at the side of her trousers below the waist band. She pulled them down slightly. "Well fuck me." She said with an irrevocable certitude. "I don't believe it... it's my artificial hip."

**(7)**

"Exeter will be waiting at the hatch, Captain." Janet ended the comms link-up from the surface and dropped her head. The final three crew members would be back aboard in twenty minutes.

_The problem is simple, Captain, if you'll just shut your mouth and listen to me for one minute. The parasites just died. They've been out of their eggs for three days. What were you expecting? Now just keep quiet and load the others so we can get on our way. Are you not happy that we've made enough money with this salvage to retire on? Well? Answer me!_

Janet would not talk to Natasha this way. There was more chance that she'd spontaneously grow wings and fly around the inner dock than she would talk down to the Captain. The woman terrified her.

She had ordered Exeter to enter the Skipjack enclosure already and place the parasites in two separate cells far away from the other animals, and on different levels. She wanted them to be away from the scene of the crime. If asked where the parasites were, Exeter would tell her where he had placed them finally. He wouldn't have to lie. He wouldn't have to say anything about the Heidi Skipjacks.

Janet would be able to study the adult Xenomorph at her leisure and make notes on its physiology.

The plan now was simple: she would contact another company and demand an exorbitant sum for its delivery. Her brother back on Earth would help her do it. She would encrypt her messages. No one at Starling would have to know.

She would make her money and she didn't care who she had to fuck over to do it.

Call it severance pay.


	8. Emergence

**Chapter Eight: Emergence**

"Just come with me." Said Oz.

They hadn't spoken for two days. He'd been busy with his work and she'd been busy being busy. From what she'd discerned from the other crew members, of which she had now met them all, Oz kept himself to himself. He hadn't shared a conversation with anyone since the start of the voyage other than shoptalk and monosyllabic pleasantries. Martha, who'd shipped-out with him twice before, said she had never spoken with him. Never had call to.

_Pilots and Utilities have nothing to do with each other unless the cup-holder in the centre console breaks, _she said before erupting into her typical burly guffaw.

But then again, Elizabeth couldn't envisage _how _a conversation between this particular pilot and Utilities Engineer would go. They seemed like an odd fit. Martha would ask all the questions and Oz would provide none of the answers.

The unstoppable force against the immovable object.

The fact Oz spoke to Elizabeth voluntarily and actively sought her company, gave her reason to be cheerful. After Sammy had capitulated and taken his turn in the alien stasis chamber, Elizabeth was surprised when Oz said he didn't want to accompany him. He'd mentioned an injury to his legs when he was younger; something severe and traumatic. But he said he wanted to keep things the way they were, if only to remind him of how bad things could get. There was no shaking him on it.

He was a complicated man. She liked that about him.

He led her down the long, unbroken corridors of the orbital passageways of deck four, the lowest deck they could access without having to enter a code. All decks below this one were restricted. They _could _access them with Oz there, but he was taking her to a different place. He seemed eager, though his poker face was hard to read.

"Where are we going?" She asked. "My back's aching." They'd travelled almost the full length of the ship, a walk that had taken ten minutes.

"I want you to see something."

They reached a door, on which was inscribed the words _Lower Observation Deck_.

"Observation Deck. I hope there are seats in there. I'm _am _pregnant you know?" The bump had started to show the day before. She was four days pregnant. Five months in _real_ money.

Oz tweaked her nose. "Whiny."

She pulled away, not able to hold back the smile. "Hey, I'm not a child, granddad."

He held the door open. "I want you to see this." He said. "Welcome..." He paused until she passed the threshold, "... to the twenty-seventh century."

She walked through into a narrow room about three metres wide and fifty metres in length with a row of seating and a glass wall on the opposite side all the way down. On the floor at the base of the glass wall were rectangular tiles. Along the back wall were a number of round dials at steady intervals all the way down that looked like either thermostat controls or dimmer switches. They were neither.

The other side of the interior of the dock was three hundred metres away on the other side of the ship. It was huge. There were cranes and slings hanging down from the upper levels waiting for salvage. Robotic machines moved around up there in preparation.

She walked over to the glass, stepping onto one of the raised tiles, looking down as she did so, so as not to trip. When she raised her head, she saw what he'd wanted her to see. She stumbled back instinctively at what she saw. "Oh my god. That's terrifying."

Oz's reaction was understated. He was trying to feel what she was feeling vicariously. These were some of his favourite moments and it was good to try and remember what it was like the very first time he experienced it.

She held her hand to her chest and slowly approached the glass again until her forehead touched and she could see all the way down.

As she looked straight down, she could see the bottom of the spaceship was open allowing an unobscured view of the planet below. They were orbiting at an altitude of just over a hundred miles and the curve of LV-426 was clearly visible, along with the thin, misty layer of atmosphere that coated it in a hazy ring.

"Stand with both feet on the plate." He pointed at the tile at the base of the glass section.

She stepped on it so that both feet were within the outline of the tile.

He spoke slowly and calmly, so as not to spook her before he did anything. "I need to warn you before I do it... but the glass tilts... if you like?"

"Tilts?" Elizabeth looked at him with an air of disbelief at what she was seeing. She found it amazing and had to think for a moment if she actually wanted to be suspended vertically, a hundred miles above the planet. "Erm..."

"You don't have to." He added. "But if you don't, you're a snivelling coward."

Elizabeth liked the way Oz's cheeks poked out at the sides when he smiled this broadly. He had a wicked side to him, she thought. "Well..." She gulped and exhaled slowly, "I don't want anyone to think I'm a coward... especially after already killing more than half-a-dozen enormous aliens... so please... tilt away..." She pressed her hands against the glass above her head and waited for the show to begin proper.

Oz walked over to the round dial on the wall in line with where Elizabeth was stood.

Elizabeth looked back over her shoulder. Oz raised his eyebrows and waited for her cue.

"Do it."

He turned the dial and her section of glass, up to about half a metre each side of her, began to slowly move outward, tilting and extending simultaneously, the tile she was standing on moving out with it, giving her feet somewhere to support herself.

The angle passed forty-five degrees and she was now just waiting for it to stop moving. Her view was already incredible. Breathtaking.

"Okay..." She spoke quietly to herself. "Just stay calm."

Fifty degrees.

"Calm..."

Fifty-five.

"Calm, calm, calm now..." It was difficult, but she wasn't going to be defeated.

Sixty.

"Oz..." Elizabeth could hear the tremble in her voice, informing her she really _was_ that nervous, "... when is it going to stop?"

"Not till we reach right-angles." He informed her. "You want me to stop... chicken?" He squawked a few times.

Three things occurred to Elizabeth at this point:

One- they still used the _chicken_ reference to infer cowardice;

Two- Oz did an amazing impersonation of a chicken (she hoped she would remember later to ask him if he could do Donald Duck... that is, if Disney wasn't as dated to them as Shakespeare was to _her_ generation); and,

Three- she couldn't let anyone get away with calling her chicken.

The tremble left her voice and was replaced by true grit and determination. "Tilt it, big mouth."

It was slow, but it wouldn't stop until it reached a ninety degree angle. She prayed she wouldn't have the urge to go to the bathroom. It would give him ammunition. And she was not going to give him the satisfaction.

It occurred to her there was no temperature change in the glass. It was ambient.

And two other things: it didn't mist up under her breath, strangely enough, and it felt unusually comfortable. It seemed to mould itself around her features in a gradual manner like an afterthought. Whatever the material was, it was obviously some kind of complex polymer.

_This is no time to be thinking about the glass. _She thought. She really needed to have a few words with herself- _Stop thinking about what you're looking through and just look _through_ it, you dunce!_

Her whole body extended out above the open dock doors. It was like she was floating. It was a majestic feeling.

The movement stopped.

"Done." Announced Oz.

"I want you to know," said Elizabeth, "if I go into labour because of this, I'm gonna sue the arse off you. They _do_ still sue in the twenty-seventh century, don't they?"

"Don't be sarcastic, Ellie. It doesn't become you."

She stayed quiet and just enjoyed the view as Slick Willy 'slowly' orbited the globe. 'Slowly' in this case being around ten-thousand miles per hour.

The minutes passed, Oz allowing her to take it in, with just her own thoughts to keep her company. He walked up to the dial nearest to Elizabeth's and depressed it before turning the dial fully clockwise and then standing on the tile opposite it, and next to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth turned and watched his section tilt out until they were level. Her voice was soft. "It's amazing." Her eyes were moist and she had to sniff as she spoke.

Oz nodded and tapped the window he was lying on, to gesture to her to keep looking down.

She gladly acquiesced and watched the swirls of clouds in the atmosphere. She wondered what they must sound like down there, whether it was a storm, or just a blissful zephyr.

Then something moved in the corner, coming further into view very gradually. It was a dropship. It had the letter 'E' on the top of the fuselage and at the rear.

"Echo." She felt like she was in a dream state. Echo felt like a good word for the moment.

It moved across the open entrance, gliding silently.

Then another ship joined it. This one had 'N' on the top.

"November."

She could see cables trailing behind them now and her positive feelings abated for a moment, though she knew there was nothing she could do about it. She had warned the Captain they should not salvage the ship. She had warned the Captain they should destroy what was in the cargo hold. She warned her things would end badly if she exposed the ship to what was on board.

The Captain had sworn at her and told her to go away before she changed her mind about allowing her to stay on her ship and decided to leave her on LV-426 with only a Xenomorph egg for company.

Elizabeth knew it was a feeble endeavour to try to argue with her. _Just let them do it_, she'd told herself. _She would be prepared, even if they wouldn't._

She would be looking out for herself and her child now.

She rested her head on the glass again, but this time she was looking at Oz. "It's amazing."

"Yep."

Elizabeth thought it was going to be his only word on the matter, but he surprised her.

"When I first started flying- up here, I mean- in space- I used to spend all the time I could when I was off-duty, staring out into space. There's always something to see. Asteroids, satellites, planetoids, gas giants of all colours and sizes, stars, binary stars, pulsars, nebulas." He looked over at her. "Have you ever seen a black hole?"

"No, I haven't." She answered, enjoying the wonder on his face.

"Neither have I. You can't see them; they're black."

Elizabeth waited for him to start laughing. That had to be a joke.

His face was straight. He simply stared at her.

"Black?" She said.

His cheeks puffed out again as his smile returned. "Black." He started laughing.

She wanted to slap him, but instead joined in with his frivolity. "You moron."

The laughter gradually died down and they watched the horseshoe shaped vessel until it was fully visible against the grey backdrop of the planet, there was no green, just the thin blue marbled streaks of rivers leading like elongated keyholes from bulbous lakes into atrophied seas and the white of the clouds completing the meagre palate.

Elizabeth spoke with the same serene tone she had spoken with before. "We're two weeks from Earth, right?"

"About that." Said Oz.

"I sent a courier capsule yesterday. Janet said I'd get a reply before you all go back into hypersleep and head back out into deep space."

Oz waited for her to finish talking.

"I've asked if I can take a ship and a droid- David- and head back. You should come with me."

"Why?" He was curious.

"Because we're gonna die if we don't. Those things inside that ship are dangerous. If one gets out, it won't be long till the whole ship'll be wiped out."

"You're worrying about nothing. They're just animals." Said Oz.

It was strange, but his dismissive tone and the expression that bordered on a smirk managed to penetrate her thick skin. He hadn't seen what she'd seen. "These aren't a family of bears that just wander around looking for berries and that only attack if you give them reason to. These things are engineered. They've been engineered to be perfect... and they are."

Oz shook his head. She was being overly cautious. "The company won't give you permission to take a shuttle... _and _a droid. We only have four as it is."

"You have section droids." She corrected him. She'd done a lot of homework in the past three days, trying to bring herself up-to-speed in whatever minimal way she could.

"Section droids aren't utility droids. S.D.s are restricted to their own areas on the ship. They're situ robots. U.D.s can go where they want... including off ship."

"But we have the money to buy him."

"You have? How?"

"Aria. Doctor Felicetti." Said Elizabeth with an excited grin.

"How?" Oz was baffled. Why would one of the crew, who only went into deep space because they were already desperate for money, suddenly become so altruistic?

"He won't tell me how, but David said he had managed to enter into some kind of 'understanding' with her." Elizabeth was unsure herself.

"'Understanding?"

"An 'accord', he said. An 'agreement'. He wouldn't divulge any more." Elizabeth shrugged. "Then again, he doesn't have to; he's free remember."

They both turned to watch in silence the alien ship being towed further in. It was a further ten minutes until the 'tugs' unlatched themselves and exited before the lower cargo bay doors started to close back in behind them. The cables raised the ship up to the roof of Slick Willy until it was level with the upper decks and where it was secured by much more rigid looking supports.

Oz tapped down three times with his right foot on the tile and the observation window began to tilt back in. Elizabeth followed his lead.

**(2)**

They walked back towards their quarters without exchanging a word. It was a comfortable silence nevertheless.

Elizabeth reached her apartment first. "I'd invite you in, but I haven't any coffee in the place." She tried to break the ice in the hope he would sweep it away to get to her.

"That's alright; I don't like coffee."

_Damn_, she thought. _Well, ask if I have tea... or water... or if you can use the bathroom. Not that I have a bathroom._ "I'm really hungry. I need to eat."

"Okay." Oz was being a typical dullard. "I'll go then. You can ask your F.M. for something filling."

"Yes. Or you can ask me if I want to join you in the dining hall. We could pretend it's the Ritz."

"The Ritz?" He searched for a context for what she might be referring to. "You mean 'the shits'? Like it's really good?"

"Not the shits. The Ritz! You're absolutely hopeless, Oz. You really are." She said finally. She took his hand. "Come with me. You can pretend to buy me my food in the pretend restaurant- like the Waldorf or the Ritz!- and we can pretend we're in New York or London."

She stopped, cold.

Oz pre-empted and answered her question before she asked. "Yes, they both still exist. They've even still got the Empire State building... though that's in London now."

Elizabeth turned to him in shock.

His cheeks stuck out wide as he smiled back at her. "Joke."

She slapped him in the chest. He was really taking the Mickey now.

"I know: I'm worse at joking than David, aren't I?"

It was true, she thought. He was.

**(3)**

The adult Xenomorph crouched over the rotting carcass of the Skipjack which it had pulled into the corner of the enclosure it was sharing with the other Skipjack. Neither animal bothered each other and neither animal feared attack from the other. The Xenomorph rightly so; the Skipjack only because of its undeveloped instincts.

The Skipjack looked over at the Xenomorph as it fed on its former flatmate with a complete indifference. If it had been able grieve for its fallen comrade, it had real problems exhibiting the emotion.

It slushed at its bowl which it had been showing more attention to in the last half hour. It had been drinking at an increased rate ever since the facehugger had released itself almost two days ago.

And now it was beginning to feel strange. There was something wrong that was causing it to feel unnerved. It had never felt unnerved before. At the most it had felt slightly troubled during mating season. But that was it.

It began to exhale more energetically as it felt the fire ignite in its chest.

The Xenomorph looked up and hissed in its direction, but the Skipjack was unaware, its attention focus fully inward.

It brayed loudly, a sound that would not be heard by anyone that wasn't stood in the vicinity of the enclosure or who wasn't observing by monitor.

**(4)**

When her mobile vibrated in her pocket, Janet had excused herself from the bridge to go to the ladies room.

Natasha watched her as she went. She'd been acting strange since the visit to the alien stasis chamber.

Then again, there was only so much improvement the thing could do. Personality modification was off the menu apparently.

Once locked away in the bathroom, Janet took out her mobile viewer. The hologram was clear, though the sound was turned down low. She could hear the screams of the Heidi Skipjack as it fell to the floor, its legs running as it lay on its side in a reflex action.

It seemed to go on forever and Janet started to worry that the sounds it was making would cause an alarm to trigger, though this was an irrational fear.

Janet was surprised when it happened. She was surprised that she had to wipe a tear away from her own cheek. She had to feel something and she was glad she did. The animal had suffered more than she had seen anything suffer in her life. The toughness of the animal's underbelly was obvious extremely detrimental to its ability to die quickly during such episodes. What was designed by nature to keep predators out and keep it alive, had managed to keep it alive and in intense pain while a very unnatural predator tried to break out.

As the red pool grew around it, the new creature pushed itself to its feet and looked around.

Janet turned off the display. She would watch it all back later. She'd seen as much as she could take for now.

She stood and straightened her clothing so she would be neat when she returned to the bridge. She didn't need to give Natasha an invitation to belittle her and if she was going to say something, she didn't want her to say anything about her appearance. She was proud of her appearance.

She turned and pressed the button to expel her waste (though she hadn't done anything into the bowl) and send it into recycling.

As she left the bathroom and made her way back to the monarch of the ship, the new queen of the Xenomorphs was taking her first few steps in the world.

She ran to where her closest subject was feeding and where it would keep her safe.

As Janet walked back onto the bridge, trying to ignore Natasha's comments, the Queen started to feed.

She was already hungry and she would need to feed considerably more before she made her nest.


	9. Three Shadows

**Chapter Nine: Three Shadows**

"Go wild." Said Oz proudly. "Lunch is on me."

Elizabeth feigned excitement, enjoying the humour of it. "I can have anything on the menu?" She was surprised at how quickly she'd recovered emotionally from the episode with the Engineers. She wanted to make hay while the sun shone. "Sir, you spoil me." She fluttered a hand at her face to give her air.

"It's the best place within..." He tried to work out what it would be, "twenty light years."

"Ooh." She was impressed.

"No, fifteen- thirteen light-years." He corrected himself.

"Okay, don't ruin it." Despite his anal tendencies, she enjoyed his company. Though he was tortured and taciturn at times, he made her smile.

Life felt good.

They entered the dining hall to find Janet Russo sat alone on a table in the corner. She kept her head down, not seeming to care who had come in.

Elizabeth found this quite sad, that the woman was so lonely and so inured by her own unpopularity that she didn't find it necessary to make eye contact. Whoever it was that had come through the door would not want to join her, Elizabeth thought. It tugged at her.

Oz waited to see where Elizabeth wanted to sit. It would be her decision.

She gestured for them to go sit with her. "Come on."

Oz gave no indication whether or not he agreed or disagreed with her choice.

Elizabeth pulled the chair out slightly and waited for Janet's permission. "Mind?"

"I'm only on break." Said Janet, almost surprised by their approach.

Elizabeth felt real empathy for her. Such loneliness must be terrible with such a long time out in space. "Thanks."

She sat opposite Janet and Oz sat down next to her.

"Willy: Two menus." Requested Oz.

The dining table illuminated in front of the two new diners and the menu appeared with a visual representation next to it of what the dish looked like in the real world. What would appear on the plate would look far less appetising.

It was now that Elizabeth took a better look at what Janet was eating. It was a disconsolate, light green mound. It looked like the stodgy, discoloured custard that was typical of the ship's cuisine. She pushed it round her plate from side to side like the worlds least accomplished ice-hockey player preparing to shoot the puck.

Oz drew his gaze away from Janet's culinary doodling and put on his most Frenchiest of French maître d' accents for Elizabeth. "What would madam desire?"

She was impressed. Another good imitation. She attempted her own: "Ooh, some-sing French zen, monsieur, wiz a wat wan."

Oz was shocked, "Wat wan?! Hey, you ees pregnent, remembehr?"

Elizabeth screwed up her nose and furrowed her brow. "But is only wat wan." She pleaded playfully.

"But Cherie, we ees not allowed zee alcohol on board zee sheep." Oz informed her.

Janet shook her head, "You should try Italian. The wine is bland. Alcohol not allowed on ship." It seemed comedy hour was over.

Oz raised his shoulders in the stereotypical French style of explanation. "Zat eez what I said, Shanett." He cleared his throat and returned to his normal voice and tone. "Yeah, that's what I said."

Elizabeth said goodbye to her accent too, "Sank you, Oss." And became English once more, speaking to the older woman. "I had Italian yesterday. Polpettina, pasta, a tomato and basil sauce. It was-" She kissed her finger tips miming a taste explosion in the tradition way to express culinary perfection, "- completely flavourless!" She said unenthusiastically. "And I don't think the baby liked it either. It was kicking all night."

"That may be because it's growing a month a day." Janet reminded her. "Shouldn't blame the food."

Elizabeth chuckled. "Maybe." She perused the illuminated list below her while Oz grabbed the cutlery. "Okay, sod it: I'll have vegetarian carbonara." She waited for Janet to enlighten her on what she already knew.

"It's _all_ vegetarian." Said Janet. "We're basically eating our own waste. It's recycled human that's on your plate." She added casually.

"Please." Said Oz. "We all know what we're eating, but I'd rather not... you know..."

It was true. Janet was just providing her with the facts. It was her way.

Elizabeth could tell she was trying to say it light-heartedly, but there was a harshness to her voice that could be easily mistaken for superiority.

"It's more like cannibal carbonara." Janet finished.

Her delivery of the joke was terrible, but Elizabeth laughed anyway. She was just thankful she had a strong stomach.

Janet didn't mind toilet humour. She had got used to spending extended periods in restrooms away from mocking crowds. "You off-duty, Mister Bates?" She always found a way of bringing conversation around to work.

"Servicing the droids later." He said. "A few hours in between."

Elizabeth wanted the conversation to be livelier. She spoke excitedly, "Oz took me to the Observation Room on deck four."

Janet continued to eat, seemingly unmoved by her revelation.

Elizabeth continued nevertheless. "It was quite moving to see the planet below."

"It's quite a sight, but it's a satellite- a moon- of a planet, not a planet in its own right." Corrected Janet.

"Either way." Said Elizabeth. It was all good.

"The alien ship is docked?" Janet asked Oz.

Oz nodded. "Droids docking the shuttles."

"Right." There was no warmth in her.

Elizabeth could see how it would be a struggle for her to attract people to her; to make friends. It was frustrating how seamlessly Janet sucked the marrow from the bone of the conversation. She spoke loudly up into the air. "Cannibal Carbonara, please Willy!"

Janet found her attempt at wit foolish, but she smiled nevertheless. It was an unusual feeling to be drawn into a chat than repelled out of it. "He won't understand." She said, her tone matronly, but cheery.

"Please restate." Said Willy, confirming Janet's words. "Cannibal Carbonara not available."

This amused Elizabeth. "Not available. The Captain's been in already."

She was surprised to see Janet found this funny, having to fight back the smile. She was getting through to her. Maybe she'd manage to burrow deeply by the end of the mission.

There was a chuckle in Oz's voice, "Two carbonaras, Willy. And two coffees- black." He winked at Elizabeth and spoke in an Italian accent. "They got coffee _here_... signorina."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at him. It was funny how much this felt like a late night soiree, rather than a mid-morning snack. "Yes, I'll have mine black, thanks for asking. And it's not signorina, it's erm-" she was unsure of the next word, "doctor-ina?" She shrugged.

Janet felt like a gooseberry. Their flirting was plain to see. "I'm due back on the bridge, so-" She saw the dining hall door open. "Shit..."

Natasha walked in and looked over at them. "Don't get up, Russo." She called over. Her face was stony. "How long you having for your break? Should we expect you back?"

The fun was over. Janet looked over at the clock on the wall. She still had ten minutes. It was only a five minute walk back to the bridge. "On my way back in a-"

"Rhetorical question, Janet." She said derisorily. "No need to answer."

If there was one thing Janet hated more than company, it was company _and_ the Captain. She felt uncomfortable with company around. They never _got_ her. But when Natasha was there, she would always find a way to humiliate her; make her feel like a child.

She didn't want the ground to open up under her; she wanted the ground to open up under the Captain and pull her out into space, sans environmental suit.

"Thanks." She stood and leaned closer in to Elizabeth.

Natasha thought she was whispering about _her_.

"It's 'dottoressa', by the way. Not doctorina." Her mouth twitched up at the corners.

This was the closest to a look of contentment Elizabeth had seen on the woman. It was almost a display of happiness.

Janet took her plate and cutlery over to disposal and headed for the door.

As she was walking past her, Natasha took her arm lightly. "I know you've been pre-occupied lately by whatever goes on inside that skull of yours, but Delta still hasn't had an After-Flight. So if you could get round to it... First Officer..."

"I'll inform Chief Jakande." Janet said timidly.

"I'd be awful grateful if you could, seeing as it's been subjected to atmospheric conditions n'all and has been sat docked for two days already."

Janet really wanted to ask her why she hadn't got Sammy to service the dropship herself, but she knew that would not end well. It was Janet's job to allocate the work on board, but there was no reason why the Captain couldn't take matters into her own hands.

She was, after all, _The Captain._

Natasha let go of her arm and Janet scurried off.

The room was silent. Elizabeth and Oz heard everything that had been said.

Natasha walked over to sit down with them. "Ladies." She didn't need to be invited. It was her ship: her dining hall.

"Seat's taken." Said Elizabeth.

Natasha hesitated for a moment and almost went on to the next seat before she saw the smirk on Elizabeth's face.

"Just kidding, Captain. Please take a seat." Elizabeth's smile was wide, letting her know that, unlike the rest of the crew, she had very little fear of her... and even less respect.

"Thank you, doctor." It was a _thank you_ that sounded very much like a _fuck you!_

"You're welcome. We're eating carbonara. Or going to. Would you like to join us?"

"That would be lovely." She said sarcastically. "But I'll just stay for the company." She curtsied before she sat down. "How are the droids, Bates?"

"Fine, Captain. All serviceable."

"Findley?"

"He's-"

The Captain frowned.

"_It's-" _He realised quickly what he'd said and corrected himself. "working within all serviceable parameters. I gave it an all-circuits test." He lied.

"What was the problem with _him_?" asked Elizabeth.

_Him _again.

Natasha wasn't going to be pulled into the gender game with her. The woman was a wildcard and she had no authority over her. "Nothing you need to worry about, doctor."

The dispenser beeped over by the wall and Oz went over and collected the food, cursing under his breath. This was a very different gooseberry to the one that had just left. An extra sour gooseberry that made your face want to implode.

He carried the food and drinks back together on a tray. "Are you sure you don't want a drink, Captain?"

"Yeah, okay. You twisted my arm." She took one of the cups of coffee off the tray.

Oz knew he'd walked straight into that one. "Thanks. Willy: one coffee- black."

Elizabeth picked up her knife and fork, trying to ignore the animosity that was lingering in the air. "Mmmm- it smells edible and Brown."

Oz laughed and looked over at Natasha whose expression didn't change.

"Before you begin," the Captain said, as Elizabeth was about to cut into the food, "We have to say a blessing, right?"

Oz had no idea what she was talking about.

Elizabeth was waiting for the punch line.

"Bow your heads please and place your hands together."

Oz put his hands together in the form of a solo handshake and lowered his head unsurely.

"Head down, please and eyes closed, Mister Bates."

Oz closed his eyes.

"Thank you. Let us beg..." Natasha put her hands together in prayer while Elizabeth stared at her, unamused. "Oh, Thing, up there... do something to this food before they tuck into it... and let us thank you for the whole lot and give thanks _only_ to you, Thing... and not to the scientists and technicians who built the machines that _made_ the food, oh Thing... thank you, though I know not what it is you do... or do not do. And let me finish my obstinate nagging, oh Thing, by asking you to show us your eternal love by not killing us all. Thank you, Thing... whatever you are... All men."

Elizabeth's gaze was waiting for her when she opened her eyes. "_A_men, Captain... not _All-_men."

"Oh, sorry. But apart from that- authentic, right?"

"Good enough." Replied Elizabeth.

Natasha was very pleased with herself. "Making you feel at home."

"Thank you." Elizabeth said flatly.

Oz still hadn't a clue what was going on, and why.

The machine beeped again and Oz went for his drink, taking the chance to stay there. "Five milligrams of sweetener, Willy." A few seconds later, there was a second beep and the small quantity of sugar substitute appeared from within the food dispenser and was slowly conveyed forward.

He took his time stirring it into his drink. He didn't like sweet coffee, but it was a delay tactic nonetheless. He'd order another coffee after the Captain had left. It was free after all.

The two at the table were still not talking. Oz knew the Captain was waiting for him to return so she could have an audience.

As he walked back over, the conversation reactivated.

"I always like to make our guests feel at home." Natasha assured her. "I searched D-7 for you... and Weyland. Everything it had. Got the company to send it to me."

Elizabeth didn't understand what she meant by D-7. It sounded intrusive.

"The company managed to find a document regarding you, of a discovery you made in Mesopotamia in 2087. Cave paintings. With your partners Myrtle and Hollins. It said you were an archaeologist... and a practising Christian no less." She mimicked inducing vomiting by sticking two fingers down her throat. "No offence."

"None taken. Myrtle and _Holloway_. Cynthia Myrtle and... Charlie Holloway."

Natasha put her hands together in mock apology and mouthed the words 'forgive me', before continuing. "Aged twenty-six." She spoke questioningly. "You were still practising at twenty-six? Hope you graduated since?"

Elizabeth ignored her jibes. "Cynthia died a few weeks after the discovery. It was a blessing she didn't live longer in hindsight- come with us to LV-223; the weapons installation I told you about."

"A real 'blessing'." Natasha concurred.

Elizabeth nodded solemnly. "Yes. It would've been awful... but I'm sure she's grateful she never got the chance to meet you... no offence."

Elizabeth smirked as she realised she'd hit her mark, finally. There was no immediate comeback. Natasha was obviously searching for a good reply, but not being used to anyone besting her, she was off-balance.

The ship's address system interrupted them and Elizabeth felt annoyed it gave Natasha a distraction. "Chief Jakande- please report to the bridge. Thank you. Chief Jakande."

It was Natasha's turn to ignore Elizabeth's jibe. She shook her head quasi-mournfully as she spoke. "The Prometheus. State-of-the-art. Never came back. Crew lost, presumed dead."

"All except two." Elizabeth amended.

"Two?"

"David and I."

Natasha seemed to be amused by this and let out a giggle. "Well... it's one now, isn't it?"

If they were cats, they'd be circling each other with tails raised by now.

Elizabeth wasn't entertained. "They don't test for personality flaws when they assign captains in the twenty-seventh century, do they?"

Natasha held her gaze. "That's-"

Elizabeth held a hand up, interrupting her. "Rhetorical question, Captain." She said. "No need to answer."

Natasha smiled. "Very good." She looked at Oz who was showing only interest in his food and little acknowledgment of the two women's conversation. "That's... well, I think I'll leave you two love-birds to your tête-à-tête." Her pronunciation of the final word was like a celebration of _tees_... and another _fuck you_. She had seemingly perfected a way of saying _fuck you_ in every sentence without actually saying it... though she was not one to shy away from using it when she wanted.

Elizabeth let her know she was grateful: "Merci beaucoup, ma Capitaine."

Natasha saluted Elizabeth almost cordially. "We'll speak some other time. I have a couple of questions about the alien ship, doctor." She looked at Oz. "Don't forget to service those droids before you stow them, Bates. You can _decontam_ them. They won't be returning to the surface."

"Yes, Captain." He stood slightly in respect as she left.

There was a moment of quiet after the door closed before they spoke.

Oz snorted. "This is incredible, you know? It's not usually until the final few months that everyone on mission wants to kill each other. You seem to have speeded up the process, Ellie."

Oz waited for Elizabeth to laugh.

She didn't. She looked at him with a sternness he hoped he wouldn't see too often. He thought he'd crossed a line.

She spoke bluntly. "Pardon my French-"

"No, your French was good." He assured her. He wanted to placate her.

She shook her head, "No-"

He didn't understand the context. "Yes. You said 'thank you, Captain'."

"Yes, I know that. But that's not what it means. It's an expression. It means 'pardon my bad language'."

"Oh... okay." He gestured for her to continue.

"Right- pardon my French,"

Oz nodded- he knew what she meant now...

"but that woman is a word that begins with 'c'-"

"'Captain'!" Oz guessed quickly trying to be whimsical.

"Will you shut up, Oz, and let me finish! Jesus! Normally you say one word every hour and now you can't stop. It's... oh, never mind." She cut a slice of the food with her fork and scooped it into her mouth, chewing angrily before gulping it down.

"No, it's okay." He could see there were crossed wires. Six hundred years worth.

The adrenaline had already been released. She just had to wait till it was out of her system. She took another belligerent bite of her food.

Oz knew he should try to persuade her to continue or at least vent in some way. Intimate conversations were not his thing. "Please f-"

"And it rhymes with 'runt'." She sawed off another slice and stabbed into it.

Oz wanted to laugh, but didn't dare. He had no idea what was the right thing to do. People were hard work. Better to stick with droids.

The rest of the meal was endured without another word spoken. The atmosphere had suddenly turned frigid. The meal had become just a reconstituted mess on their plates.

Any romance they were feeling had drifted away shortly after Janet Russo had left.

The Captain would've been happy to know.

Oz looked over at the dispenser. "Willy: coffee, black, no sugar."

**(2)**

"Janet, I finished my shift five minutes ago. I'm going to the mess then I'm going to bed." Sammy explained to her.

"Chief, you know there are no shifts on board ship. You finish when the work is done, _if_ there is work to be done." Janet informed him. "And there is work to be done."

Sammy could tell that Russo wanted to intimidate him. But he wasn't going to let her. There were people who _could_ intimidate him on a good day. Natasha. Aria. But no one else.

"It's just an A/F." She assured him.

"An A/F." He wanted her to confirm it.

She nodded. "That's all."

"It better not be a scheduled servicing."

"It's got a _25hour_ in another 3 hours of flying time. Just an A/F." She assured him. "It'll only take-"

"I know how long A/Fs take! Don't tell me my job!" He wanted to call her a _bitch_ or maybe even a _motherfucker_. He restrained himself. He was tired. He wanted some down-time before he went to bed.

She completed her sentence anyway. "Twenty minutes." Janet had had enough of being spoken down to for one day.

"Look, I'm in bed by midday whatever happens. If I find anything unserviceable, I'm gonna write a seven-three-one and leave it there till I come back on shift... or you can get Billy onto it, like you should be doing..."

"The Captain-"

"Spare me." He cut her off and selected Delta's documentation on the console. He yawned widely as he began typing: 17/09/2680 - 10:07A.M. – AFTERFLIGHT - CHIEF JAKANDE. He hit _enter_. "I'll finish the docs while I'm on Delta. Good night, _sir_!"

She was unimpressed by his attempt at humour. "Good night, chief. Let me know when you finished the servicing."

He left the bridge without responding.

Janet continued to fantasize how good it would be to lose the Captain and her secret fuck-buddy in a tragic 'accident', maybe on a newly explored planet. How good it would be to watch them being ripped apart by the wildlife.

_Maybe I could get them to go for a walk in the Menagerie, _she thought. _How romantic to watch them try to trip each other up as they ran from the Xenomorphs, screaming for their lives_.

The Xenomorphs. What an idiot she'd been. Why couldn't she have just waited? All because she was so down-trodden. The need to be Captain was strong, but would never happen while she had someone like Natasha writing her assessments or having input on her Curriculum Vitae.

Natasha would find out soon what she'd done and give her another dressing down. She'd wait until the pre-sleep debrief; do it in front of as many of the crew as possible. Or maybe even wait till they start the next mission. Even more people to humiliate her in front of then.

"I can deal with it." She told herself. It had been done now. The courier capsule had contained more than just ship's logs and communications, and Elizabeth Shaw's requisition. It had contained something for her brother. Something that could change their lives. Something so lucrative, she really didn't mind sharing it with him.

**(3)**

Sammy cursed all the way to the dropship. He'd taken over from Billy Walker and supervised the arrival of the alien derelict. A total of twelve hours from before the launch of Echo and November to securing it up into the Third Tier Dock. He would complete its stowage on his next duty. Fatigue was taking hold of him and he just wanted to go to bed.

No supper.

No delving into his stash of contraband whiskey.

Just bed... alone.

He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Sleeeeeeep..." He chuckled to himself. He knew he was tired- he'd reached the skeleton shift _giggle _stage.

He reached Delta's docking station and hit the button to open the outer hatch.

There were soft hissing sounds of air escaping on the other side of the door to restore equilibrium before they opened.

He mimicked the sound- _sssssss...- _and entered, the doors closing behind him.

"Willy: A/F. Activate avionics and lights. Give me levels. Open all interior doors. Transfer recycling to main..."

There was a double beep informing him it had been done and the craft lit-up before him.

"... and play some music."

There was a dull beep informing him his last request was invalid. "Cannot comply with request to play music."

Sammy rubbed his eyes indifferently. "Thanks, Willy."

He headed for the flight deck on the upper level.

**(4)**

"I'll have to come out when Shaw goes into labour." Said Aria.

"How about the droids?" Asked Natasha. "They could do it." She looked over at Findley/David.

"They could..." she deliberated, "but I'm not going to risk complications just to keep our little secret."

"I would love to be of any assistance, Natasha." Said David. "To bring new life-"

"Shut up." Said Natasha abruptly.

David had an option to smile as a reaction to her censure, but this was denied by his 'Findley' sub-routine for obvious reasons. His expression stayed emotionless.

The derelict was proving to be a botheration to the Captain. Its stasis chamber's ability to regenerate cells was something that would be highly coveted. The realisation it could rejuvenate and return a person back to their youth was troubling.

They had no idea how it had happened. Findley had stated it didn't have a probable explanation for the anomaly. Its data banks hadn't shown any malfunction and it had stated it had entered the same command for each pod.

Natasha had decided to keep it on restricted-duties until they were ready to go back into hypersleep. Willy could perform a complete overhaul of Findley's circuitry while they were all asleep until the start of the next mission a month later.

For now they had to keep the ship's doctor away from the ship so they could work out how to exploit the situation. But it would be useless if they couldn't find out what had happened. The alien ship would be fully stowed soon for transit. They would have to wait till they got back to Earth before the thing was accessible again. And then it would be in the hands of the company.

They had discovered the fountain of youth. This was a ticket to infinite wealth. She would receive her _Card. _Both her and Heidi. Maybe even Aria. If the rest of the crew knew about this extra function that had been discovered, the wealth would have to be distributed even further. Maybe Shaw would get the lion's share as she was, to some extent, captain of the vessel at the time of salvage.

The company would pay them well, sure; well enough to retire, but she wanted more. Living comfortably was not living exorbitantly. Any self-respecting capitalist could not settle for anything less.

They needed to find out what had happened differently to the stasis chambers before the next thirty-six hours elapsed. The Xenomorph eggs in its cargo hold had taken a back seat for now.

She was sure the answer lay in the finger tips and neural matrix of Findley. If she could get her answers she could dispose of the droid to remove all residual data from the proceedings. Another 'accident' like the one on LV-10978. Only this time, there would be no cover-up. The droid would be destroyed... once she had her answers.

**(5)**

The instrumentation on the flight deck showed the energy levels of all flying control systems which he transferred to the A/F servicing doc on his mobile. Everything was in good shape in there and so he'd headed out to inspect the rest of the ship. He would work methodically starting by climbing straight down the forward ladders to the Lower Deck and working his way towards the Engine Bay at the rear, then back up.

The dropship layout was simple, each ship being seventy metres long, forty metres wide and ten metres high:

Lower deck was the main Cargo Bay; two Quarantine Areas; Restrooms and Engine Bay to the stern. The undercarriage was accessible through a hatch in the Engine Bay. The Outer Hull was inspected by Slick Willy's sensors in the dropship's dock- they were already taken care of.

Central Deck: Cargo Bay at the rear; Port-side Ablutions and living areas; Central Hypersleep Nest; Forward Observation area; then the Starboard Recreation area as he worked back round to the rear access ladders.

Upper Deck: Galley; Port side living areas; Upper Hypersleep Nest; Starboard living areas; Flight Deck.

Lower Deck to Central deck to Upper deck to Exit and then... to bed!

He was now on the lower deck completing his visual checks through dry eyes.

As he walked further towards the aft, he gradually noticed an odour in the air. Unpleasant. Not overpowering, but one that offended his nostrils.

As he approached the quarantine areas, he sniffed the air. It was like there was something rotten on board.

The passenger areas were clear, along with the engine bays and undercarriages. He had to bypass the quarantine areas before he got to the toilets. With all doors onboard open he knew he was going to find something unsociable in there.

As he walked past Quarantine Area A, he saw the lone transit box David had used through the corner of his eye. It was a mangled wreck.

And there was another mess on the floor nearby. "What the fuck...?"

He entered the room to examine it closer.

He had found what the smell was.

"I am _not_ cleaning this shit. You nasty..." He looked at it in disgust. It looked like shedded skin, but there was no way he was going to pick it up. "I'm getting a fucking droid to..." As he spoke, he was trying to remember which ship had carried the parasites back. _Delta...? No... Charlie._ "Already serviced you."

He didn't like it. He was unsure of what was going on.

He stood and left the area, feeling just a little unnerved. His mind went flitting back to Heidi's ugly little parasites.

He walked briskly past the second three-metre by three-metre quarantine area scanning the cell briefly. Inside was another bomb site. Two salvage boxes this time... and there were _two_ piles on the floor in _there_.

Halfway through a yawn he flinched, looking over his shoulder as he thought he heard a sound. A faint tapping.

He shook it off. _You can't hear a thing when you're yawning. _He was imagining it, surely.

"Let's get out of here, Samuel-" He told himself. "just to be on the safe side." Even by himself, he didn't want to lose face. He didn't want to come off as a wimp.

He walked past the restroom, a worried jump in his step and headed towards the access ladder up to the centre deck.

He grabbed the ladder and began to climb, all the while an uneasy feeling making his skin crawl. "Just small. Like cats." He reassured himself. "You can kill a cat, Samuel. Course you can. Break its-"

_Was that another tap?_ He halted momentarily before continuing his mind returning to the parasites. _But they don't have necks. They don't even have heads._

He shuddered.

As he reached the next level, he paused as his hand touched something sticky. A viscous liquid on one of the bars.

"Whoa! What the fuck?" His voice sounded loud. He thought it more prudent to be quieter.

_Xeno-somethings, _she'd called them. _They mature in just a few hours._

Well, she was just full of shit. Of that he was sure. But being out here... all alone...

He ascended further, only now more tentatively, until his eye-line was level with the centre deck's floor, wiping the substance from his fingers onto his trouser leg as he waited.

He looked around for signs of life.

_There was nothing. It was clear. All clear._

_Maybe they're waiting for me. _His thoughts were troubling him.

_Maybe they're beneath me, coming to grab my legs._

He looked down and was suddenly very nervous

He pulled himself up the ladder quickly before moving two metres to the right where the next ladder to the upper deck was located.

There was more slime.

"Fff-" He hushed himself. He knew he had to be quiet. And he knew he wasn't going to climb these ladders. He had to get to the set at the fore.

He moved hurriedly, but there was still fifty metres of corridor to navigate. He had the continuous feeling there was something behind him as he went.

He looked over his shoulder repeatedly, just to make sure.

It was clear. There was nothing there.

And then with less than thirty metres to go, he froze.

From inside the starboard living area he saw movement. A shadow on the floor. "Sh-"

He was still. Maybe it was just the light.

There was a darkness on the floor that might be something benign.

Just a couple of seconds and he would continue.

It was a strange shape. He couldn't think what it was that could be making it. The games machines were by the walls. The table were in the centre, but they wouldn't make such irregular shapes.

Movement. Creeping. Towards the doorway.

_Go back. Get back. Go round the port-side!_

He ran back as light-footedly as he could, tiptoeing round the curve of the Hypersleep Nest.

He skidded to a halt, his shoes making a squeaking sound. "Ff-"

There was another shadow.

_Three skins. _He thought. _Three beasts!_

_You're gonna get through this, Sammy. Stay calm!_

He had to think. But it had to be quick.

_Think, Sammy. Come on! ... _

He looked from side-to-side as he backed away.

_Three beasts..._

He looked at the living area.

_One in there..._

He looked back at the shadow round the corner of the Hypersleep Nest.

_Another over there..._

_That's two on this level..._

He looked at the ladder leading up.

_One more above..._

There was only one way to go from here: back down the ladder to the lower deck.

He checked in one quick glance- they were still just shadows on the ground. They were moving slowly. Maybe they were waiting for him. They would ambush him.

_But surely an ambush predator would be aware of their own shadow?_

He wasn't sure of that, but he _was_ sure he had to move... now!

As he slid down the ladder with his hands and feet on the outside, the soles of his shoes slapped the floor hard as he landed.

_NO! What are you doing?! They must've heard that_.

He didn't think the restroom he was approaching would keep him safe. He pressed himself against the wall and shuffled towards the quarantine areas. They weren't much further. He would be safe in there.

And then he was past the door to the communal bathroom and so close to safety.

_quick_

He began running.

_quick!_

It took just a second and he was in.

_black shadow_

He was safe.

"Willy: lock Quarantine-"

His breath choked in his throat.

_black shadow..._

_It's in the room._

He turned round to see it already crawling towards him over the box from which either it or one of its brothers had broken out.

He didn't hesitate. He ran back outside and hit the close button as the Xenomorph pounced. The door cut across like a bullet, shutting it in, infuriating the beast.

He stumbled back. "Fuck." His voice was still just a whisper, but from within the room, it began ramming the door to test its own strength against its structural integrity.

He wanted it to shush, but he knew it wouldn't. The others would be here soon.

He headed for the passenger lift on the starboard aisle, midway up the corridor. He could bypass the centre deck- come out on the Upper level and scarper.

He hit the button and the elevator drove down to the lower deck. It would arrive and _Ping!_, but this was the least of his worries while the one trapped in the quarantine area was hitting the door with such force.

"Come on, motherfucker..." The others would be climbing down the ladder soon enough.

As the door opened he saw the head and hands inverted, zipping down fast.

He jumped inside and hit the close button, shutting it without delay and just in time.

The door smashed in, cracking along its length causing him to press himself to the back.

He punched the Upper level button and the lift began rising. But only for a metre and then it ground to a halt. "No! Don't stop." He needed it to rise or he was dead. The concave door was stopping its ascent.

The whole shaft trembled as the Xenomorph smashed against it again, causing damage to the floor of the lift this time. It buckled in the centre, distorting his reflexion into two mutated halves.

He needed to get rid of the lift door. It was impeding his escape. He started kick out himself to try to force it out of the way- to dislodge it. It motion was like a two handed saw.

_Push me pull me._

The Xenomorph hit from one side- Sammy kicked from the other. The door would fail soon, he hoped it would fail and allow him to rise.

_Kick_

_BANG!_

_Kick_

_BANG!_

_Kick_

_BANG!_

At last there was a groan of metal against metal and he started to rise.

"Yes!"

There was only one more Xenomorph outside, but he was sure it would have followed the other down to the Lower deck. They were animals; that's how they worked.

The lift juddered, travelling very shakily, then stopped with an ear-splitting shriek. Once more, he was static. Waiting.

The door to the Central level was in front of him. Shut.

"COME ON, MOTHERFUCKER!" There was no need for whispers. They knew he was there. "PLEASE!"

But his words were met with indifference to his plight.

"Please... please..." He was desperate for movement, but he knew it was not going to happen. He had to get out before _they_ got in. "Willy: emergency open Central lift door."

The door slid open without fuss, allowing him to escape onto the level. He rushed out and headed for the forward ladders.

_black shadow_

His heart missed a beat and seemed to flutter in his chest. He slipped as he tried to stop, falling onto his backside, struggling to get back to his feet.

It was a face. A face with no eyes, impossibly crawling towards him along the wall. Smiling. Drooling.

It descended onto the floor. Its head was long and as it turned to face him it hissed.

He knew there was nowhere to go, unless he could take the route back around the Hypersleep Nest to the Port-side and outrun it.

He turned back, stumbling into a run in the opposite direction.

But his escape was cut short again. The shape stood tall, just a few metres from him. It had left the lift and scaled back up the ladder in an instant.

He felt alone. This was so unfair. He had given it his best shot, but they were still there. He couldn't escape them. He was trapped. Maybe if there'd been only one of them...?

"B... wh..." He couldn't even understand himself what he wanted to say. His thoughts were a jumble. There was something inside, urging him.

There was something he wanted to say- he _needed _to say.

And there was something he wanted to do- something he _needed _to do.

But he couldn't grasp what those things were.

It was simple:

The 'needed-to-say' was a warning to Willy.

The 'needed-to-do' was to start to run again-

- in any direction.

He had seen these same scenes in wildlife videos and films many times.

Alone with a pack of wolves in the wilderness of North America.

Face to face with a pride of lions on the plains of Africa.

Floating on the surface of the South Seas, watching powerlessly as a Great White shark appeared from the deep like a steaming locomotive.

But this was Homo sapiens. It didn't happen to Homo sapiens anymore. Not in real life.

It may as well have been ten thousand years ago.

"No..." His voice was weak and pleading. He looked back over his shoulder as he backed away. "Please..."

All he'd wanted to do was go to bed. To sleep. That's all. It'd been a long night.

He wheeled to the right and backed into the wall midway between them while they closed in ever so slowly. He could still hear the other monster making dull thuds on the deck below.

He didn't want to see them. He raised his arms up so his face was in the crook of his elbows. If he didn't see them-

But he could still _hear_ them. Claws like shortened daggers tapping on the deck floor. A hissing sound coming from their mouths through their sharp, metallic teeth.

'_A mouth within a mouth',_ Elizabeth had said. _'Shoot out like a bolt'. 'Serrated tail'. 'Acid for blood'. 'Total hostility'. 'Without pity'. 'The supreme predator'._

The words shot at him like jagged barbs.

_No. No. NO-O-O-O!_

There was a blow to his head, knocking it back against the wall. It felt like someone had pummelled him with a soaked fist and there was a warm liquid now running down his forehead and into his eyes, though he still dare not open them.

Then another blow, this time to his neck. He was being punched. That was the only thing he could understand it as being. They couldn't be biting him. That was ludicrous. It would mean he was going to die. He couldn't be about to die. He _couldn't_ die. He was never going to die.

"Willy...?" He had nothing more.

Another blow to his chest and this time it felt like his face was going to explode. It was a feeling like straining trying to lift an enormous weight, all the blood going to his head.

He didn't want to think about it. It wasn't happening. He was dreaming. He'd finished his shift two hours ago and he was in bed, having a bad dream.

_That's it- it's just a bad dream_.

As the dull thuds became more pronounced, gradually the build up of pressure in his head began to flow away. The pain was abating. All sensation was going with it.

He was going to live.

He allowed his arms to fall down to his sides.

He could see teeth now. Nothing but teeth striking forward. _Teeth_ as a singular entity... but he didn't care.

There was _Teeth_...

... and red...

... and black...

... everywhere.

But that didn't matter now he knew he was going to live. He would have six hours of sleep and rise for the next day's duties. He was calm. Tranquil. It was all going to be okay...

... and as all the colours and all the shapes merged into one abstract mist, he felt himself drifting off into a deeper, more peaceful sleep away from all the horrors of the universe.


	10. Revelations

**Chapter Ten: Revelations**

Janet selected Delta's status on her viewer. The writing was in red italics:

_Servicing-_

... and next to it in blue italics:

_Chief Engineer Samuel Jakande_

But it had been this way for forty minutes now. In her mind, she could see Sammy asleep, either snuggled amongst the capsules in the hypersleep nest or back in his quarters. She knew whichever it was, he would have done it consciously, knowing it would annoy her.

Well, if he was doing it just to get under her skin, she would give him something to think about for the future.

She looked over her shoulder to make sure she wasalone on the bridge. Martha was on a duty recess of three hours- had been for just over an hour.

Janet leant in to the microphone located next to the flat screen on which was displayed Delta's status and Sammy's name. She cleared her throat and tapped the Chief Engineer's name on the screen and spoke clearly, loudly and purposefully. "CHIEF JAKANDE- PLEASE REPORT STATUS OF DROPSHIP DELTA. CHIEF JAKANDE. THANK YOU."

_That'll wake you up, you smarmy shit._

She giggled excitedly like a naughty little schoolgirl as she straightened back up and waited for his reply. She was surprised to feel that she couldn't remove the smile from her face. She felt energised. Potent. It was a strange feeling. She knew she should be beginning to regret what she'd done. Sammy would no doubt shout at her and give her a dressing down from which she would have no reply...

... but he didn't. _No_ reply came back. Not even after thirty seconds of waiting.

She knew he couldn't disable his communicator, or put it on standby or mute it while he was on duty (and his name in blue italics on the screen in front of her informed her he was still on duty), so he must be in a deep sleep.

She shook her head. She had enjoyed the thrill of her little prank. She had appreciated the unexpected absence of nerves too. But it had been for nothing. He hadn't heard her.

"Willy: show me the location of Chief Jakande."

The three dimensional image of Delta emerged, rotating until it was side on and showed the static representation Sammy on the middle deck in the starboard corridor. She stared at the image for a while before voicing her thoughts: "What's he doing there? Is he asleep... on the floor?" She couldn't understand what he was doing. If something had gone U/S he had already stated he wasn't going to fix it before he came back on shift later in the day. And there were no circuits or pipes of any consequence that ran along _that_ wall. She was sure of it.

She cleared her throat once more, but spoke more evenly this time. "Chief Jakande- please report. Chief Jakande. Thank you."

She watched for signs of movement from his mobile communicator, whether it was to roll away from the wall panel, or stand up. From the looks of it, he was either crouching, sitting or on all-fours. His position would be represented about six inches lower if he was lying down. "Chief Jakande... report, please."

A sudden feeling of dread came over her and she looked behind her to ensure she was still alone on the bridge before selecting what she regarded now as the Xenomorph enclosure.

It took her a few seconds to locate both of them in the darkness as they stood motionless- but there they were: the drone and his rapidly growing queen, still a couple of feet shorter than him, but showing the signs of its different genetic build. The crown was becoming more prominent and it seemed to have more appendages than its subject. Janet was just relieved to see that they were safely in their cage. For a chilling moment she had thought they might have been responsible for Sammy's reticence.

She exhaled as the void that had opened up inside her stomach slowly returned to normal.

**(2)**

The Xenomorphs had returned to Sammy's bloodied corpse when Janet's voice echoed out from his mobile. They leant in close, as though sniffing, trying to sense whether it was the dead figure that had come back to life. But his injuries were not repairing. His wounds were gaping and whatever blood remained inside him was still making its way slowly out onto the floor around him.

There was a hiss and one of the creatures grabbed him by his lower jaw, dragging him quickly away heading towards a more sheltered area.

**(3)**

Janet jumped, letting out a muted squeal as the blue dot on the screen suddenly shot off down the corridor at a linear height, then took a left into the hypersleep nest where it stopped in the corner. She put a hand over her mouth, the idea of the Xenomorphs still prominent in her mind. "Can't be." She searched her mind, attempting to work out if there could be other aliens on board, or even _how_ other aliens could be on board. Delta had been to the surface, but neither the Captain, Heidi nor Aria had reported anything unusual. If there had been an alien on board, they surely would have been aware of it. How did it get past them? How had they not noticed it?

It didn't make sense.

But the speed at which the dot moved and changed direction just seemed unnatural. It couldn't be Sammy. He was tired. He wouldn't do this _just_ for her.

"Willy show me Delta's central hypersleep nest." The flat screen image changed to the empty view of the hypersleep chambers wrapped around the central column like petals on a flower head. "Rotate, Willy." The image began orbiting the nest to show each empty chamber. They all seemed to be vacant.

Then there was movement something black and thin- like a tail... and she noticed a line on the floor. It was red. Blood red.

"No."

She tried to think more intensely. This was wrong. What else could it be? What could it be if it wasn't blood? What could that have been if it wasn't an alien?

Her eyes widened as the face of the monster she had grown used to crept into view, followed by another. And another. Monosyllabic negatives were all she seemed able to mutter. "No." She couldn't believe what she was seeing. There were three of them. Maybe more.

I need to announce Red Alert, she thought!

_red, like Sammy's blood_

I need to warn people. We're in danger. "Willy- are Delta's external doors closed?"

"Yes, Janet." Came Willy's disinterested reply.

"Erm..." She couldn't think of what to do. She had caused Sammy's death. Somehow, her Xenomorphs had managed to birth more creatures and they had got loose and followed him onto Delta. She was finding it difficult to think. Panic had taken over. _I'm in trouble._

She looked at the screen where two of the monsters could be seen crouching, motionless.

"Oh my god. I'm dead." She saw the future. She saw bars and she saw herself sat behind them, staring at the floor. She was old. She would die there. In jail. Then she would be recycled. And all this now that she looked so good after the rejuvenation, compliments of Elizabeth's Engineers. There would be no money for her. No trophy wife. She was fertiliser. No more, no less. That's all she was to the universe now. Compost.

She had to think fast. She couldn't live in a cage.

The image on the screen moved bringing her shipmate into view and she felt herself go weak at the knees as her mind began to go psychedelic. She had seen him. It was confirmed for her now. It was Sammy- or what was left of him. His blonde hair was covered with heavy pink streaks. His complexion, so smooth since his time in the derelict's stasis chamber, was no longer a fresh pink- it was now a cold, exsanguinated grey beneath glossy red stripes.

"Willy- secure bridge doors!" She demanded hurriedly.

There was a beep as the doors locked. Only the Captain would be able to gain access now.

_Captain_. Janet knew Natasha would enjoy screwing her into the ground for this. Right up to her neck in the dirt. She might even visit her in lock-up whilst on shore leave just to gloat.

Janet could feel her cheeks begin to redden and her eyes start to well up. She wiped away the tears before they had a chance to fall.

"Willy-" Janet's voice broke and she had to compose herself before she spoke again. "Come on."

"Please repeat your request, Janet." Replied Willy.

"Shut up." She had no patience for his misunderstandings right now.

She took out her own mobile and selected the Captain's name. It didn't feel right to talk to her via the air around her. She felt she needed privacy. She secured the mobile to her right ear and waited for Natasha to answer. She slapped herself across the face to stop herself from crying. She needed anger. She needed to feel fire. She needed to feel the power of fury. This was no time to crumble.

The tone continued for over ten seconds before it was answered, which helped raise Janet's blood even more. When it went silent, there was no answer, just Natasha's voice in conversation with someone else. Janet knew she was doing this to let her know how great was her contempt for her and just how little was her respect.

_... about two hours. Then there's about a half an hour for the secondary units to secure the hull before the partition is rolled across._

"Hello?" Janet could hear she was talking about stowing the derelict. She was speaking in a lazy tone as though she was just going through the motions of speech. Trying to kill time. She knew it was for her benefit- to put her in her place.

_Findley, dispose of this._

_Yes, Natasha._

_The secondary units move out, then the-_

"Captain? Hello? Can you hear me? Hello?" Janet needed to get her attention.

There was a pause for a second...

_The secondary units return before the cargo droids stabilise the ship for A/D_ _velocities._

"CAPTAIN! PLEASE RESPOND!"

_Hold on._

There was a second before Natasha responded, "Who is this?"

All members of such a small crew have their own designated tones. Janet knew Natasha knew with whom she was speaking. "Captain, Chief Jakande's mobile isn't working correctly-"

_If the restraints aren't connected properly, the cargo could, in theory shoot through Willy's hull._

There was a new voice. _That's incredible._ It was Aria. She sounded amused, like she was enjoying Natasha's games.

"Capt- CAPTAIN- CHIEF JAKANDE NEEDS TO SEE YOU ON DELTA!"

The voice on the other end was calm. "Are you shouting, Russo?"

She tried to cool her jets before she spoke, "Chief Jakande's mobile communicator is U/S and he's asked to see you on Delta."

"U/S? Why didn't he get in touch with me directly then?" Asked the Captain.

Janet constructed her lie as she spoke, "He addressed the bridge to talk with me and told me to tell you he needed to see you. He thought you were on duty. He was busy on Delta. I don't know why he didn't contact you directly- I'm just telling-"

"What's wrong with Delta?" She asked.

"He didn't say. He never tells me anything. He said he wanted you. He was very abrupt." Explained Janet, feigning disapproval.

"Well, what did you say to upset him?"

"I didn't say-" The succession of three diminishing beeps informed Janet Natasha had ended the call. "You fucking bitch! I hope they tear you apart!"

She looked around the bridge, deep in thought. She had to move. She had to do something. There was evidence on the ship that could finish her (had finished Sammy) and it needed to be destroyed (... along with Sammy).

But the ship _itself_ was evidence.

She was being rapidly channelled towards her only course of action.

** (4)**

Natasha cut her communicator and looked at Aria. "That woman is like a wart."

Aria shook her head. "I have a laser that deals with warts. You'd need a much bigger laser for Russo. I could ask Engineering if you like?"

They both smiled.

Natasha returned to her thoughts and the conversation they'd been immersed in before Janet's interruption. "Our hand's have been forced and we've run out of time. There's no way to keep this to ourselves. Findley isn't malfunctioning. It looks like you got lucky."

Aria nodded contentedly and fingered her glossy hair.

"Elizabeth is going to need you to deliver the baby. We need Findley to help with the derelict." Said Natasha.

"They'll understand why I've been locked away. I can say I was carrying out tests on myself. Confined myself to my quarters for observation."

"Good. Send Findley to Utilities when you're done with it."

Natasha stood and headed for the door. It seemed Sammy wanted to have sex on a dropship. Nothing new there, but it had been a couple of days and it would kill forty minutes. Ten minutes there. Ten minutes for sex. Ten minutes back. Ten minutes to shower.

As the door opened, Aria spoke to her in a doctorly tone, "Be careful, Captain."

Natasha turned to hear what her warning was.

"If this is the first time since he came out of the alien stasis chamber, Sammy may be like a shaken Champagne bottle."

Natasha smiled and even let out a chuckle. "Don't worry- I'll make sure my face is out of the way when I uncork him." She winked at her and left.

David stood in the corner of the room and waited for the door to close. He knew what was waiting for the Captain on Delta- he'd put them there- but he didn't know Janet's motivation for sending her there, he would have to wait to find that out later. His protocols couldn't leave Natasha to her fate without the Engineer's stasis chambers nearby. "Would you excuse me, please Aria? I must return to Utilities, as Natasha ordered."

Aria didn't answer. She merely gestured for him to leave as she turned to the large screen on the wall. "Willy- continue playback."

The black screen came alive showing a title and elapsed time: _Southern Comforts – 0:26:57. It faded and was_ replaced by a very beautiful woman and an even more beautiful man arguing about an inappropriate liaison.

_I found her scarf in your drawer, Dexter._

_Her scarf?_

_You heard me!_

_I don't know what you mean._

_You _know_ what I mean. You and another woman. Here in our house. The house we built with our very hands._

_You got it all wrong, baby._

_Have I?_

_Of course._

_Then why did she come round for the scarf?!_

_She..._

_You lied to me, Dexter!_

_That's not true, baby. I only lied to you to protect Angel._

_Protect Angel_?!_ How about protecting me for a change?!_

_Because, my love, she's Angel's real mother._

_What?! Her real mother? But you said her real mother was an alcoholic drug dealer called Albany from Massachusetts. You said she died in a house-fire two weeks after Angel was born and I was the only woman in her life and could be her mommy._

_And you are, baby. This other woman is nothing. Just some home-wrecker._

_You said you loved me! I'm having your baby, remember?! I waited for you while you went to war._

_Yes, and you only slept with my father once, Carmelle._

_That was an accident, Dexter! One night. One crazy night. We were drunk. I can't remember how it started. I was lonely for _you_. Believe me, please! Why won't you believe me?!_

_You want to know? You want to know why I won't believe you? I'll tell you why I won't believe you. I'll tell you _right now_ why I won't believe you, Carmelle- are you listening?... because, not only did you sleep with my father while I was away fighting for our freedom and the freedom of our child... but you slept with my mother too..._

As the woman began to cry unrealistically and the music began to play over the credits, the door closed behind David and he headed stealthily after Natasha.

He hadn't walked ten paces before Aria's door opened.

"Findley- before you go I need a neck rub." Aria called after him.

David's Findley sub-routine instructed him to return to her quarters and carry out the act.

"Willy- fifty millilitres of coconut oil." Ordered Aria.

Instantly, inside David's head, an insistent conflict began. He began calculating how much time he had before he needed to leave... and all the while, he knew he would have to listen to the inane discourse of under-educated meatballs.


End file.
